Final Fantasy VII
by Jason Tandro
Summary: This is a novelization of the game. I take creative liberty with a few minor events, but otherwise my goal is for it to accurately represent the game. See my intro for further explanation and enjoy this novelization.
1. Introduction

Final Fantasy VII

Rewritten by: Jason Tandro

Original story by: Square-Enix

Disclaimer: This is merely a novel version of the Square-Enix game Final Fantasy VII. All characters and events are copyright Square-Enix. It is meant for entertainment purposes only. Also the creative liberties and thoughts expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Square-Enix Staff or any of their employees, affiliates, or subsidiaries.

Introduction: A detailed explanation of motivation.

When I was very young, probably around 14 or 15 (cause I had just entered high school), I wrote a complete novel version of Final Fantasy VII. It was crude, as my writing style was exceedingly poor at that time, and mostly skeleton work. I never got around to editing it and it wound up taking up hard disk space on a very old computer that I typed it on (a 386 with Word Perfect).

Ever since that time, I've wanted to re-write it, in hopes of completing it seriously. The truth is no other Final Fantasy connects with me the way that Final Fantasy VII does, and I feel there is so much more depth to this story line than any other Final Fantasy (with the exception of second favorite, Final Fantasy VI).

I take some creative liberty with the characters themselves, but my code dictates that I don't change the events in any dramatic way. I.E. Aeris won't live, Meteor will still be summoned, Cloud will go insane, etc. The closer this story is to the actual story of the game, the better. I try to keep the dialogue pretty close to the same too.

The only major change between this and the game is that I will not include the Wutai scene. The only reason for this is I have already written a very detailed story about this event (albeit from the Turks standpoint) called Day Off. I recommend you guys read it, it's excellent stuff if I do say so myself. And I guess I might still write it, if it comes up, but that is many chapters ahead.

So, without further ado, I give you Final Fantasy VII.


	2. Chapter 1: Cloud

Chapter I

Cloud

The smell of gunpowder filled the air. Shots and screams rang through the metal city of Midgar like a discordant opera sung to no one in particular. The serenade was followed by the sound of explosions and the whirring of mechanized patrols moving in the direction of Mako Reactor 1.

Down the bullet riddled street walked Cloud Strife. He wore a navy blue uniform; the uniform of a member of the elite army unit SOLDIER. But that time was behind him now. His alliance to the army of the Shinra Corporation, the company that was using the planet's life force to earn money and gain control over the world, was shattered forever.

Lifting his large sword off of his back he struck down two Shinra soldiers who rushed him, not even wasting the effort to attack them seriously. His mission was to get in and out the Mako reactor as quickly as possible, and that's what he intended to do.

He walked further down the street, nearing the entrance to the Mako Reactor. At the large metal door, he saw a small team of guerillas hacking the security system. They were his comrades, the terrorist group Avalanche.

The first was a man in camo, with a dark bandana covering most of his head. He carried a submachine gun with enough clips to take on the entire army of Shinra. This was Wedge, this was how he operated.

The second man was a bit larger than Wedge. His name was appropriately Biggs. He wore a maintenance suit and also had a bandana.

The third was a woman named Jesse. Competing the entourage with her own red bandana, she also sported camo pants and a military flak vest. She was the one currently disarming the security system.

Wedge looked up at the imposing Cloud, "You must be that Ex-SOLDIER guy. Cloud, right? My name's…"

"Look," Cloud interrupted tersely. "I really don't care who you are. I just want to get in, get out and get my money before the robo-guards and soldiers show up."

Suddenly a large man came running down the other side of the street. He had dark skin and hair and a gatling gun was grafted to his arm where his right hand should be. "What the hell?! I told you all never to move in a group!"

The team looked over at their leader, and then continued what they were doing. Jesse had just hacked into security and opened to door into the Mako Reactor. They rushed inside. Their leader began to walk in, but turned and looked at Cloud.

"Ex-SOLDIER, huh? I don't trust you. The name's Barrett Wallace, and don't you go forgettin' it," he said.

Barrett walked into the Mako Reactor and Cloud followed behind him. The interior was a metal grated walkway. One direction led to the other side of Midgar's Section 1, but there was a walkway, which intersected the main one that led into the reactor compound. Biggs stood guard at the opposite entrance. It was his job to cover their escape.

The team ran across the walkway into the compound. Inside there was a mess of gears of and pipes in no particular order. It seemed more like a maze than a reactor. Barrett looked over to Cloud, the man he had hired for 1500 gil to help ensure this operations success. He was skeptical as to how well Cloud would meet his expectations.

"Yo Cloud. This your first time in a Mako Reactor?" Barrett asked.

Cloud shook his head. "I used to work for Shinra you know."

"Yeah yeah. So listen, these reactors are pumpin' life outta the planet you see. Shinra's just using these to get money, but they're hurting the planet in the process," Barrett said.

Cloud seemed completely uninterested. He was keeping an eye out for security where he knew it would likely engage them. Wedge and Jesse stayed behind and Cloud and Barrett entered an elevator.

"It's just you and me now," Barrett said. "Anyways, the planet is dying Cloud."

"I don't care about the planet dying," Cloud finally declared. "All I care about is finishing this job."

Barrett scoffed and turned his head away. He knew that there would be no convincing this mercenary about the importance of Avalanche's mission.

The elevator stopped at a metal walkway leading to the main control station for the reactor. Beneath them was Mako in it's purest liquid form. It was the first time Barrett had seen something like this, but not the first time for Cloud. Cloud remembered what is was like to be in a reactor, and he remembered seeing pure Mako.

"Go plant the bomb," Barrett ordered.

"Are you sure you don't want to?" Cloud asked.

"I gotta make sure you don't try nothing funny," Barrett explained coarsely.

Cloud shrugged his shoulders and planted the bomb on the controls. "Alright. The timer is set for ten minutes."

"Cloud, watch your back!" Barrett shouted.

From a grate behind the controls came a monstrous mechanical scorpion. Cloud jumped out of the way as it crashed on to the metal walkway. It raised its tail and fired a laser at Cloud who rolled out of the way. Barrett rushed at the scorpion with his gun ready to fire.

"No!" Cloud shouted. "Don't shoot it when its tail is up! It'll counterattack with that laser!"

Barrett kept his hand on the trigger of his gun-arm, and watched the movements of the scorpion slowly. The two were in a face-off as Cloud lifted himself up.

"Come on big red, let's see who blinks first," Barrett grinned.

Suddenly, the scorpion's tail dropped and it charged at Barrett. Barrett leapt out of the way and Cloud lifted his sword. An orb attached the hilt of his sword glowed and suddenly the massive machine was struck by a bolt of lightning. It's began to move erratically, as if it was malfunctioning. Cloud then leapt above the Scorpion and cut down its back with his sword. The machine fell apart on the walkway.

Barrett stood up tentatively. "Is it dead?"

"Yeah, and we will be too if we don't hurry up and get our asses out of here," Cloud shouted.

Barrett and Cloud jumped in the elevator. Cloud mashed the up button and the small metal box began to climb slowly up the shaft.

"How much time do you think we have?" Barrett asked.

"About four minutes," Cloud replied.

"Great," Barrett thought. "We'll be fine."

The door of the elevator opened to Wedge and Jesse attempting to fend off three mechanized patrols that had cornered them. Barrett shot through the first two and Cloud cut the third down with his sword. They ran out of the complex and onto the main catwalk where Biggs was waiting anxiously.

As they were running, Jesse slipped and got her foot caught in the metal grating. Cloud rushed to her aid.

"Jesse, are you alright?!" Barrett asked.

"Get out of here, there's not much time left!" Jesse shouted.

"We're not leaving you behind," Barrett yelled. "One of us don't come home, none of us go home."

Cloud broke the grating with his sword and lifted Jesse up to her feet.

"Thank you," Jesse said as she ran towards the exit. Cloud ran behind them to safety as the Mako Reactor exploded in a fireball that illuminated the night sky. A fitting finale to the night.


	3. Chapter 2: Tifa

Chapter II

Tifa

The Avalanche team stood beneath a train tunnel in Midgar Sector 2. The city lights were shining like small stars, as the sound of warning sirens echoed from Section 1. The brick buildings around them would provide adequate cover for their return to Sector 7.

"Alright guys, split up and meet at the train," Barrett ordered.

Cloud walked over to Barrett, "Hey Barrett, what about-"

"You'll get your money when we get back to the hideout," Barrett replied tersely. "Spread out. Biggs, you got that bomb ready?"

"Ready, Barrett. This'll slow them down," Biggs said.

The access tunnel between Sector 1 and 2 detonated in a fiery explosion. Shinra would not be able to pursue them, for a little while. The team spread out, taking different directions toward the train.

Midgar was a floating city. Built on pillars and support towers. It was divided into eight sectors that used to be individual towns. They centered around the large Shinra Tower, where the Shinra Corporation carried out their activities. Beneath the massive plates were smaller sections built from mainly scrap iron and the ruins of their old towns called the slums.

Cloud remembered what it was like to grow up far outside this city, in the town of Nibelheim. He shook his head. Right now his only job was to get back to the Sector 7 slums safely, and to the hideout of Avalanche.

A large group of people had gathered near the train tunnel, believing-correctly- that the Sector was under attack. On their way towards the tunnel, Cloud saw them knock over a young woman carrying a basket of flowers.

Cloud walked over to her and helped her up. She wore a pink dress and a small red jacket over it. She had dark brown hair in a ponytail behind her.

"Thank you," the woman said smiling. "Do you know what's going on?"

"It's not important. You should get out of here," Cloud said.

"Oh," the woman sighed. "I don't suppose you would like to buy a flower. They're only 1 gil a piece."

Cloud hesitated, but then nodded. He handed over a small silver coin to the woman and she gave him a pink carnation.

"Thank you, again," the woman giggled.

The train rushed down the central pillar of Midgar. Avalanche's presence had cleared out a car. They weren't the most pleasant looking people after all.

"So, where's Cloud?" Jesse asked.

"I don't know. Maybe he missed the train," Biggs thought. "Say Barrett, do you think he'll join our fight for the planet?"

"How the hell should I know?" Barrett replied banging his fist against the side of the car.

Suddenly something on the top of the train knocked back. The team looked above them, trying to get a grasp of what it was. Barrett lifted his gunarm and Wedge readied his machinegun. Suddenly Cloud burst in the side door.

"Cloud!" Biggs and Jesse shouted.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Barrett shouted. "You could have gotten killed."

"It's nothing big, just what I always do," Cloud grinned.

Barrett was not amused. "That's comin' outta your money hotshot."

Jesse walked over to Cloud. "Your face is covered in soot. Here," she wiped his face with her handkerchief. "Um, thanks for saving me back there. I guess you're alright."

Cloud nodded. "It was nothing."

"Oh, I'm sure you already know about this, but I want to show you my genius," Jesse said. She lead him over to a monitor at the end of the car. It showed the track layout as well as a highlighted red area labeled Security Checkpoint. "This area is where they check our identification from the Shinra database. Now we've been using fake IDs to get along, however Shinra will probably bump up the security after today's attack. I'll try to create higher quality cards, but from now on we might need to find a better way."

"You seem fairly knowledgeable about this stuff," Cloud commented.

"Oh, I like stuff like this. I'm not much of a fighter, but I'm good with computers, monitors, bombs. You know, flashy stuff," Jesse replied.

Cloud nodded and walked over to Barrett. He glanced out the window just as the train was passing underneath the plates of Midgar into the slums. "A floating city. It's eerie."

Barrett chuckled. "I didn't expect to hear that outta you. You know, because of that damn pizza the people underneath are suffering."

"Then why doesn't everyone just move up to the plate?" Cloud asked.

"Don't know. Probably cause they got no money. Or maybe… because they love their land, no matter how polluted it gets," Barrett replied.

"It's like this train, I guess," Cloud commented. "It can't go anywhere except where it's tracks let it. Nobody stays in the slums because they want to."

The train pulled into the Sector 7 slums. It was a desolate town, enveloped in darkness that even the sun could barely penetrate. Lights remained on day and night, and illuminated the pathways through the torn houses forged from scrap iron, waste, and spare lumber.

The team walked back to their hideout, Tifa's Seventh Heaven Bar. Barrett had to clear out some customers by using excessive force, but otherwise their journey back was uneventful.

Cloud walked in the door and saw his childhood friend, Tifa Lockhart. She owned this bar and was also a member of Avalanche. Her dark brown hair had gotten shorter, her body taller and more curved, but her face and green eyes were still the same as he remembered.

"Cloud, Barrett, you guys are back!" Tifa smiled.

"Papa!" cried a young voice. Out from behind the bar ran a little girl; Barrett's daughter Marlene. She had fair skin and short brown hair, like her mother.

"Hey Marlene," Barrett smiled, lifting his little girl up. "Were you good?"

"Yes Papa," Marlene giggled.

Tifa looked at Cloud and saw the carnation in his hand. She smiled, "did you bring Marlene a gift, Cloud?"

Cloud turned to Tifa with a confused look, but then noticed he had been holding onto the flower the entire time. "Uh, yeah. I thought she might like it."

Barrett gave Cloud a look of disapproval, but then laughed. He knew something was up and that it was probably Tifa's doing. "Go on Marlene. And be sure to say 'thank you'."

The shy Marlene reached one hand out and took the flower. "Thank you Mr. Cloud," and with that, she retreated behind her father.

"Okay fools," Barrett said lifting up Marlene. "We're starting the meeting, get down here!"

Barrett pressed a hidden switch next to a pinball machine in the corner, which activated a hidden elevator down in to the basement. Biggs, Wedge and Jesse followed suit.

"So, Cloud. You look well," Tifa said, walking closer to Cloud. Her heart raced with excitement simply seeing him alive. Of course she knew that if anybody could complete that mission, it was him.

He was always a strong one, even in his childhood. When they were little he had told her that he would become something big. Maybe this was what it was.

"Tifa, it's great to see you, but I'm just doing this for the money," Cloud explained.

Tifa took these words as a she would bear a slap in the face. "I see. So it seems like you've forgotten our promise."

Cloud sighed. "No, I haven't."

Tifa walked over to him. "I still remember the well. I was so shy, I didn't think you'd come."

"I thought the same thing," Cloud replied. "You were amazing, even then."

"The sky was alive with stars. And you told me you were leaving, and going to join SOLDIER. But you promised me that if you became that SOLDIER, and I was ever in a bind, that you'd come and save me. I wanted to experience that, just once. To be saved by a hero," Tifa smiled as she relived the memory.

"But I can't save the planet. I'm not your hero," Cloud sighed.

Tifa grabbed onto Cloud's shoulders. "You can be. Avalanche could use somebody like you."

Suddenly, Barrett came up the elevator. He was holding a pouch of coins. "Yo, a promise is a promise." He passed the coins to Cloud. "Your fee."

Cloud looked into Tifa's longing eyes and then over to Barrett, who he could tell was hoping Cloud would stick around too. "You got the next mission lined up? I'll do it for 3000 gil."

"Does that mean you'll-" Tifa was interrupted by Barrett banging his fist against the wall.

"That's double your fee!" He shouted.

"But Barrett we could use the help!" Tifa said.

Barrett turned and whispered to her. "That money is for Marlene's schoolin'." He turned to Cloud. "2000!"

Cloud nodded in reluctant agreement.

"Get some sleep man. Tomorrow's blast is gonna be even bigger than this one," Barrett grinned.


	4. Chapter 3: Barrett

Chapter III

Barrett

The team awoke the next morning to the sound of workers. It was the daily routine in the Sector 7 slums. People incinerating scrap iron for fuel and energy, weapon crafters, miners and all other manner of people with hot and noisy careers. Cloud got out of his sleeping bag and went up the elevator to the bar where Avalanche had already gathered.

"Good morning Cloud," Tifa smiled. "I'm joining you on today's mission."

Before Cloud could protest, Barrett walked up to him. "Okay Mr. Ex-Soldier, I got another question for you. Those gems on your sword, what are they called?"

"Materia," Cloud answered.

"Yeah, um, how do you use them?" Barrett asked.

Cloud sighed and tried to explain it in terms a non-SOLDIER would understand. "Simply put, Materia is highly condensed Mako energy. It contains the wisdom of the ancients and allows ordinary humans to do extraordinary things."

"Oh I see, so that's what makes you guys in SOLDIER so hot huh? Were we fighting anybody from SOLDIER yesterday?" Barrett asked.

"No," Cloud replied coldly. "If we were, you all wouldn't have survived."

Barrett scoffed. He wanted to punch Cloud, but held himself back. Even though Barrett was a very proud man, he had enough sense to know when he needed help.

"Awright, listen up!" Barrett announced. "Today we're hitting the number 5 reactor. It's newer and bigger, and it's more heavily guarded. Biggs, Wedge and Jesse are gonna cover the way out. Tifa, Cloud and myself are gonna deal with the reactor complex. Escape team, I want you to cover the area under the Sector 4 plate. If we aren't there when the bomb goes off, just head back to Sector 7, we'll meet you there."

The team nodded and they made their way for the train. As Cloud made his way towards the station, he noticed the Number 7 support pillar. It was the massive structure that somehow held up the immense Sector 7 plate.

"You know," Barrett shouted. "I know you're simply fascinated with our little village, but kindly move your ass!"

Cloud ran over to the train where the other members of Avalanche were arming themselves for the next run. Once again, they had managed to acquire a car to themselves.

As the train wound it's way up the central pillar, Jesse carefully monitored the red zone.

"We'll be at the security checkpoint in about two minutes," Jesse said.

"Awright. That'll put us close to the Sector 4 plate. So in two minutes, we're jumping offa this train," Barrett said.

Suddenly an alarm went off, and an electronic voice rang out: "Unauthorized persons in Car #1. Commencing lockdown!"

"What the hell?!" Barrett shouted.

"Shit!" Jesse cursed. "They must have run a root scan before the security area! We've gotta go!"

"Somebody screwed up," Barrett said, his eyes glaring at Jesse. "Awright! Move to the rear car right now!"

The team ran through the closing doors as the car-by-car lockdown took effect. The sirens blared, the passengers of the train couldn't help but notice the armed terrorist group running like madmen through the train and began to panic. Chaos ensued.

They managed to make it to the rear car without too much complication, but it was quite literally the end of the line for them. Barrett saw the light bars of the Security area just a few hundred yards down the track.

"Awright guys, jump!" Barrett ordered.

"What about you?" Cloud asked.

"A leader always stays until the end!" Barrett explained.

Biggs, Wedge and Jesse came running up behind them. They had managed to "borrow" some disguises.

"You guys take care of things, okay?" Barrett asked.

Tifa jumped off the train, followed by Cloud and then Barrett. Biggs, Wedge and Jesse remained on the train, hoping that their leader knew what he was doing.

"Anybody injured?" Barrett asked the team.

They were now standing in the train tunnel of the central complex. It was a dreary looking place. Just wires, and train tracks everywhere. Down the track from them, no more than maybe twelve yards, was the Security Checkpoint.

"I'm fine," Cloud replied. "Are you alright Tifa?"

"I'm okay. So where do we go now?" Tifa asked.

Barrett looked around. He knew around here somewhere was an access grate for maintenance workers. It would drop them to the lower section of the Sector 4 plate. Then he spotted a latch close to the Security Checkpoint.

"Aha. Awright, this'll do," Barrett said.

"Are you sure that's safe?" Tifa asked.

Cloud walked over and investigated. "Nothing to grab onto. It'll be a one-way trip."

"We got no other choice," Barrett pointed out.

The Sector 4 plate was about as visually appealing as the train tunnel. The lower part of the plate was a connection of catwalks, floors, maintenance tunnels, and any other essential, but not flashy, functions of Midgar. Cloud, Barrett and Tifa made their way across a few grates where they ran into their comrades.

"Biggs, Wedge, Jesse!" Tifa exclaimed.

"We made it out okay. Guess you three caused enough of a ruckus on your way out," Jesse laughed. "I screwed up somewhere. I didn't think they would do a root scan. I'm such an idiot. It's cause I tried to make Cloud's ID special."

"Relax," Barrett said. "Let's just focus on the mission right now, okay? You guys get ready to cover our escape. We're gonna enter this reactor and take care of it."

"Yes sir," the three saluted.

Mako Reactor number five was exactly as Barrett had described it. Newer, better protected, and more of a pain for the three to navigate through.

"Awright," said Barrett as he boarded the main elevator. "Tifa is gonna plant the bomb. Then we're gonna get out of here, real simple."

"Since we came from underneath them, they won't know what hit them," Cloud thought. "That's actually quite clever."

Barrett grinned. Despite his hatred for the Shinra, he could see himself getting to like this mercenary. The elevator stopped. To Barrett's relief, this portion of the reactor was the same as the first. A simple walkway and the master control area.

Tifa walked down the catwalk and began to set the bomb. Suddenly, Cloud blacked out and collapsed on the catwalk. He had a vision of Tifa in a similar reactor screaming about her hatred for the Shinra and resting her bloody hands on the corpse of her father.

"Sephiroth did this to you, didn't he?"

Cloud was awoken by Tifa, who was shaking him fiercely. "Cloud are you alright?"

Cloud stood up and nodded. "Just go ahead and finish the job. I'm fine."

Tifa hesitated, but then returned to planting the bomb. She turned around triumphantly, and Barrett smiled. "Awright, let's get outta here!"

The elevator doors opened on the upper level catwalk, where an entire legion of Shinra soldiers were waiting for the three.

"What the hell?" Barrett cursed.

Cloud lifted his sword, but upon getting a better glance at the number of soldiers he decided to put it away. An elevator rose up from underneath the catwalk, and from it came the voice of the president of the Shinra Corporation: President Shinra.

"So this is Avalanche?" He mocked. "Well I am quite surprised an organization so small can cause so much damage."

Shinra was a short and fat man. He had short brown hair and a matching moustache. He wore a brown suit and tie and had the stereotypical look of a successful businessman.

"Hah!" Barrett laughed. "It's too late. In a few minutes this reactor is gonna be blown to hell!"

"Such a waste of good fireworks," Shinra laughed. "All to catch such small vermin."

"You Shinra are destroying the planet, so that makes you King Vermin!" Barrett retorted.

Shinra merely chuckled at this. He then looked at Cloud.

"You there! Aren't you a member of SOLDIER?" Shinra asked.

"Not anymore!" Barrett shouted. "He put that behind him."

"I'm sorry," Shinra replied callously. "I can't be expected to remember everyone. That is unless he became another Sephiroth. Yes. Sephiroth, he was brilliant. Perhaps too brilliant."

Barrett scoffed. Suddenly the legion retreated.

"What the hell?" Barrett asked.

"Ah yes it's arrived. I can't play with you today, but fortunately I've scheduled someone to play for me. It's the latest mechanized assault unit from our Weapons Development department; The Airbuster!" Shinra shouted.

A helicopter rose up from the opposite side of the catwalk and landed in front of Shinra just as Barrett opened fire on him. Shinra fled the scene as a large robot on wheels came crashing in from the Sector 6 side of the reactor.

"Damn coward!" Barrett cursed.

"Cloud, we've got trouble!" Tifa shouted as the Airbuster chased her and Barrett into a corner against the locked Sector 5 door.

"Is this thing from SOLDIER?" Barrett asked.

"No way!" Cloud shouted. "It's just one of Scarlet's tinker toy."

Cloud was referring the woman who headed Shinra's weapon development front. A woman who was responsible for dreaming up more inventive ways of using Mako to kill people.

Cloud didn't have much time to think and simply smashed the Airbuster with his sword. The robot retorted by launching grenade at Cloud, which just barely missed him, but caused shrapnel to fly around the room. Barrett fired a well place shot at the Airbuster's power source and the machine shut down.

"Yeah!" Barrett shouted in joy.

"Barrett, get over here now!" Cloud shouted. Cloud ran over to help them, but it was too late. The Airbuster exploded in place causing a great portion of the Catwalk to collapse. Barrett and Tifa leapt across the gap, but Cloud only managed to catch the edge of the catwalk, and in an instant he was gone, falling towards the Sector 6 slums.

Tifa watched as he fell the entire way, and then the explosion of the number 5 reactor forced her and Barrett to flee.


	5. Chapter 4: Aeris

Chapter 4: Aeris

Cloud was alone in darkness. His mind was fully awake, but there was nothing but the pitch black emptiness within. Suddenly a voice called to him.

"Are you alright?" The voice asked him.

Cloud didn't know how to respond to this. He truly didn't know if he was okay or not. He tried to recall what had happened. The last thing he remembered was falling of the catwalk of Mako Reactor number 5.

Was he dead? Was this place hell? Or did he manage to survive but had been struck blind… or perhaps mad?

"I'm fine. Who are you?" Cloud replied.

"Back then, you could get by with skinned knees," the voice said, seemingly oblivious to Cloud's existence. Cloud noticed that his entire body, particularly his back ached. Not that it was in torturous pain, but just enough to be sure that he hadn't died. Mediocrity was proof of existence, he thought ruefully.

"Skinned knees? What are you talking about?" Cloud asked.

The darkness of his mind grew clearer, and light appeared to fill it. He heard a woman's voice as if it were coming from a distant room: "Oh, he moved."

"Do you think you're well enough to continue?" The voice asked him.

Cloud nodded, noncommittally as the light continued to expand the room.

"Then get up," the voice said as light burst forth penetrating and revealing every feature perfectly.

Cloud's eyelids opened. He appeared to be in a church; grey stone walls and a massive palisade door at least 30 feet high were evidence enough of that. In addition, the lines of wooden pews, the occasional stained-glass window and an altar behind him (or rather from his point of view, just off to the right), made evident his original hypothesis.

And somehow in this momentary scan he failed to notice the woman leaning over him. She was in a bright pink dress and a rose-colored jacket that just covered her forearms. She had long brown hair, lighter than Tifa's. Cloud knew he had seen her somewhere before.

"Thank goodness you're okay," she sighed.

Cloud tried to stand up, but could only raise his upper body to a sitting position. "How in the world did I survive?"

Cloud noticed his arms were scratched and torn up, the fall must have been horrible. He imagined that he hit a smaller catwalk, then a series of pipes on the way down, each impact doing severe damage, but the slower speed of falling must have saved him for the first hundred or so yards down. And then the gap between the bottom of Sector 5 and where he was now, a gap of at least 50 yards? What had saved him? He looked up at the ceiling. The hole there was too big to have been caused by his body and besides which his body could certainly not break through stone.

"The flower bed must have broken your fall. I've been trying to fix you up as best I can," the woman smiled. "I owe it to you for buying that flower from me."

Cloud remembered her. She was the flower girl he ran into after Avalanche's attack on Mako Reactor number 1.

"Thank you very much," Cloud said rubbing his arms. He felt like he could stand up now and did. "Sorry to mess up your flowers."

The woman blushed. "My, your so nice. Don't worry about it. You know they say you can't grow flowers in Midgar, but for some reason they have no problem blooming right here."

Cloud nodded, looking down at the flowerbed. "What's your name?"

The woman kneeled over the flowerbed. "Aeris Gainsborough, and yours?"

"Cloud Strife," Cloud replied.

Aeris looked into his eyes at the mention of his name. "You're in SOLDIER aren't you?"

Cloud stepped back. This question took him off-guard. "Um, yeah. How did you know?"

Aeris giggled. "Your eyes. They gave you away. So I guess you're pretty tough if you know how to use materia."

Cloud shook his head. "I guess so. I'm no longer in SOLDIER. I'm a mercenary now."

Aeris pointed to her ponytail. In the braid was a small white orb. "This is my only piece of materia. My mother gave it to me when I was very little, but I'm afraid it's good for absolutely nothing."

Cloud shook his head again. "You probably just don't know how to use it."

"No, I know how to use it, it just doesn't do anything," Aeris giggled.

Cloud was still skeptical of her and wanted to examine the materia himself. Before he got a chance to ask her, a man walked in the church.

"Don't mind me," the man said ironically as it was obvious he wanted to be noticed. He wore a black suit, albeit sloppily: his shirt wasn't tucked in and left unbuttoned at the top and he wasn't wearing a tie. He had spiky red hair and a metal stud in one ear. He carried a foot long staff, which Cloud identified as a Shinra Taser.

"I know that outfit, it's the uniform of a Turk," Cloud said.

"Don't pay him any mind," Aeris said. "Have you ever worked as a bodyguard?"

Cloud nodded.

"Well then, protect me until we get back to my house," Aeris said.

Cloud chuckled. "And my fee?"

"Okay then, I'll give you one date with me," Aeris replied smiling. "Sound fair?"

Cloud nodded again, not like he expected to actually get paid for this.

Cloud and Aeris ran into the back of the church. The Turk was joined by three Shinra soldiers and a small pack of guard hounds.

"Reno," the first soldier said. "Shall we follow them?"

"Yeah," The Turk chuckled, trampling over the flower bed. "Mind the flowers."

"Is there any way out of here?" Cloud asked.

Aeris pointed to another hole in the church's ceiling. There was a stairwell leading to the attic and rafters from which they could make their escape. The sound of footsteps echoed behind them as well as Reno's shouting.

"Let's move!" Cloud shouted, running towards the stairwell, holding onto Aeris' hand.

Suddenly the soldiers burst into the room.

"The ancient is getting away! Stop them!" Reno shouted.

The soldiers opened fire on them and a bullet his Aeris' leg. She fell over the edge of the stairwell onto the ground.

"Come any closer to her and we'll kill her!" Reno shouted.

Cloud looked down at Aeris and then up at the rafters. And on the rafters he saw his salvation. He ran up the stairs towards the attic.

"Some hero," Reno sighed. "I was kinda hoping he'd put up a fight." Reno walked down to Aeris. "Are you hurt? Well you shouldn't have run is what I say."

Suddenly a rod struck Reno in the face. Aeris leapt up and grabbed the rod. She smashed the rod into the stomach of one of the soldiers, sending him flying back, onto Reno.

"Get off me, you oaf!" Reno cursed.

Suddenly the two soldiers began to fire again. Aeris ducked behind a box. She knew she couldn't fight off all of them.

"Hey!" Cloud shouted from the rafters. "Catch this!"

He kicked a barrel off of the rafters, which rolled over the other two soldiers, knocking them unconscious. Cloud jumped down to the floor and picked up Aeris. He then ran back up to the rafters and before escaping out the gap in the ceiling, he knocked over three other barrels, which hit the other soldier and Reno, rendering them unconscious as well.

Cloud and Aeris sat on a pile of wreckage in the Sector 5 slums. Piles of metal were strewn everywhere, a few of them had been shaped into houses. This was the home they knew and loved.

"Are you alright," Cloud asked.

"I'm fine, despite you running off," Aeris smiled. Cloud scoffed and Aeris giggled. "Oh, I'm kidding, lighten up."

"Lighten up?" Cloud asked. "What do those guys want with you? Don't you realize you were almost killed?"

"Oh they've always been coming after me, ever since I was little. Why, who are they?" Aeris asked.

"They're the Turks. Their documented, 'official' function is to scout out potential members of SOLDIER, but their real function is basically doing all of Shinra's dirty work. Murder, kidnapping, and the like," Cloud replied.

Aeris nodded. "Oh, well maybe they think I'm cut out for SOLDIER. I wasn't too bad in there, you have to admit."

Cloud shrugged. "Hey, maybe you are. You wanna sign up?"

"All I know for sure," Aeris explained. "Is that I don't wanna go with those guys!"

"Right," Cloud nodded. "Let's get you home."


	6. Chapter 5: Mother

Chapter 5: Mother

The slums of Sector 5 that had been crunched together to form houses seemed even more dreary once you were mucking around in it. Some twisted streetlamps, remnants of when the trash heap was actually a town, flickered noisily. Cloud and Aeris walked past a giant tube, from the smell of it, it was once used to move oil or gas of some kind. It had been given a makeshift door and turned into a home for some pour soul who was wailing within.

"Reunion….. reunion…." Came the misshapen barely intelligible voice.

"This man was found on the outskirts of Sector 5," Aeris said. "The poor dear can't remember anything about himself, all he does is wails night and day. The people call him crazy…" Cloud would have agreed, except for he knew of a condition capable of creating such an illusion. "It's Mako Poisoning, you know…" Aeris said, as if plucking the words from his mind.

They continued through the town, the latter half of which was illuminated by a massive television screen, as if it were the sun of this metal village. The nicest home in this area was actually a trailer that had been turned into a weapon shop. The owner had clippings of magazines on the walls and apparently had a subscription to various underground anarchy magazines such as Detonator, the publication of a terrorist group smaller than Avalanche centered in Sector 3, and Truth Weekly a misnomer publication as the magazine was being watched closely by Shinra making weekly reports impossible.

Both magazines featured articles regarding the recent Reactor 1 explosion. Of course Detonator claimed it was agents who were following their design, but didn't deny Avalanche as the one who actually carried the deed out. Avalanche was becoming, it seemed, quite popular amongst the underground resistance.

Cloud knew, however, that fame, meant notoriety and notoriety meant danger for them. Not that Cloud was afraid of danger, he had been in SOLDIER after all, but this was dangerous for people aside from himself. His mind wandered to the fate of Tifa and even Barrett, though he hated to admit it.

Just past the weapons shop there was a gap in a massive wall, and through it was an immense garden and a river. Off in the distance there was a waterfall, which would have seemed more beautiful if Cloud didn't realize that it probably contained much waste from the Mako Reactors. However, whatever it was it caused flowers to grow rather abundantly. And Aeris's house was equally beautiful, perhaps one of the few remaining original buildings of the old town. Cloud actually felt a twinge of sadness looking upon it, realizing what it had become.

"This is my house," Aeris said, smiling. "And my garden."

"It's nice," Cloud said, his mind now thoroughly overtaken with worry for Tifa.

They walked into the house, which was cozy at best. Cloud couldn't help but wonder how two adults could live in this place. Aeris' mother came rushing down the stairs. She was a lovely woman, even though she was evidently in her mid-40s. She had short brown hair, which seemed to match Aeris, but the color was off ever so slightly. Her manner of wearing it was also very different. Where Aeris preferred a longer, freer look, this woman was wearing in a tight, but modest bun in the back of her head.

"Aeris, you had me so worried!" Her mother gasped. " I thought they had you this time."

Aeris laughed. "Oh mother, you worry too much."

Aeris' mother eyed Cloud with uncertainty and fear. Cloud took no offense at this, understanding that a man in a Shinra uniform, no matter how worn it looked, clearly wouldn't be greeted warmly in this household.

"This is Cloud Strife. He's a mercenary, and my bodyguard," Aeris smiled.

Her mother sighed, clearly not trying to hide her initial distrust of Cloud, and went up to shake his hand. "Thank you. I am Elmyra, Aeris' mother. Forgive me, but I thought you were with Shinra." Cloud felt no need to mention that he used to be in SOLDIER at this present time, and simply nodded in response. "Thank you for keeping my daughter safe."

"Right. Well I have to head back to Sector 7," Cloud said.

Aeris' ears poked up at this. She turned to him. "Oh really? Well then, I'm coming with you."

"That's not necessary," Cloud replied, trying to avoid her getting further involved.

Aeris sighed and shook her head. "So you're telling me you can navigate Sector 6 by yourself? The wreckage is a natural labyrinth."

"But honey," Elmyra began to protest, but then sighed. "Forget it. Once you've made up your mind there's no changing it. But it's getting late, could you at least wait until tomorrow?"

Aeris thought about this for a moment, and then nodded taking her mother's point. "I'll go upstairs and make the bed then. Cloud, you can sleep in the guest bedroom."

Cloud was a little shocked that a house this side had a guest bedroom, but said nothing. He then looked at Elmyra who had walked up to him as he watched Aeris retreat to the second floor.

"Please leave early," Elmyra whispered. "Leave before she wakes up."

Cloud nodded, and put his hand on Elmyra's shoulder. He then went upstairs to his room.

"That reminds me," came the voice that had haunted his dreams in the church.

"You again?" Cloud asked, not bothering to assail the voice for information about it's identity, rather letting it say its piece.

"Haven't slept on a bed like this in ages," the voice thought. "Not since that time…."

"Oh yeah, that time…" Cloud thought, remembering a time many years ago.

His minds eye created an image from his memories. A small house, much like this one. One floor, with walnut floors and very few comforts. Cloud's bed lay in the corner of the one room house, his "room" fenced off by a small black gothic fence that had once lay on the outside of the house before the town was expanded. His mother's bed lay in the opposite corners on a portion of the house that was elevated above the rest.

Cloud's mother was a beautiful woman. She had short blonde hair, much like his deceased father. She had a soft facial features and blue eyes which sparkled in a very different way from Cloud's. Where as his eyes sparkled because of the Mako coursing through his veins, her eyes had the twinkle that only a child could see in their parents eyes. The light of enduring love that Cloud had only ever seen in his mother.

She wore a simple dress, brown and orange matching the colors of the house and the harvest. It was a spring day and the normal sounds of the village were augmented by the sounds of Shinra soldiers making their rounds.

"So how do you like SOLDIER?" His mother asked him.

"It's okay Mom," Cloud said laying down on his bed.

"I'm worried for you," His mother sighed. Cloud laughed. "Oh mom, you're always worried about me."

His mother smiled. "Well there are a lot of temptations in the big city, you know?"

Cloud groaned. _Not this conversation again…h_e thought.

"I would feel a lot better if you settled down and had a girlfriend," she continued. "You should have an older girl. Somebody who will take care of you."

"Yeah, maybe," Cloud agreed half-heartedly. He rolled over on his bed, and fell asleep.

Cloud awoke from the dreaming to the small guest room in Aeris' house. He looked at a clock on the wall. It was 5 in the morning. If there was a sun visible from here, Cloud knew that it would soon be rising. It was the perfect time to escape.

He opened the door quietly and slid out, not bothering to shut it for fear of waking Aeris who was sleeping in the room next to him. He walked slowly, across the wooden flooring. He heard Aeris in the room sleeping and moaning in a dream. He wondered for a moment what she might be dreaming of, but then returned to the task at hand. He set his foot down on the landing in front of the stairs.

CREEEAAK! The old house made an awful noise. He heard Aeris stirring in her room. He was afraid that he had blown it and stood perfectly still. Five minutes passed, and Cloud figured it was safe to move again as he crept down the stairs. He got to the bottom and walked to the door. He opened it to Aeris who stood there in the doorframe.

Cloud was so startled he nearly fell back into the house and let out a gasp. "How did you-"

"We're off early, aren't we?" Aeris smiled.

"How in the world?" Cloud asked, regaining his footing.

"Oh when I heard you step on that broken board, I decided to climb out my bedroom window and meet you down here. I was afraid that if I walked out of my bedroom door you'd appear foolish," Aeris smiled.

There was far too much wrong with that sentence, but Cloud sighed and marched off alongside Aeris into the depths of Sector 6 as though he were off on some particularly horrible blind date.


	7. Chapter 6: Corneo

Chapter 6: Corneo

Sector 6 was exactly as Aeris had described it: a mess of metal and garbage which seemed almost impassable at first glance. Cloud could easily see how hard it would be to navigate. However Aeris, it seemed, knew her way through the rubble.

"You know they actually tried to fix this place up at one point," Aeris commented.

Cloud nodded, noticing some construction equipment in the distance. Aeris led Cloud to a small gap in the garbage which appeared to have, at one point, been a parking lot.

"This is the easiest way to Sector 7," Aeris said. "Just through here leads to the gates."

Cloud was still wondering about how he was going to get through the Sector 7 gate, but he decided to hold off on that thought until it came up. They crossed over the split levels of earth and eventually found themselves at a small playground. There was a small house in the middle of a sandbox, a slide shaped like a small animal fairy called a moogle, and a swingset. It would appear nicer if it wasn't surrounded by metal scraps. Cloud saw the Sector 7 gate about a hundred yards from their location.

"I used to come here all the time when I was little," Aeris said smiling as she sat down on one of the swings.

Cloud leaned against one of the support poles. "I appreciate you leading me through Sector 6. Let me take you home."

Aeris laughed. "Well then that would be kinda pointless wouldn't it? I mean I led you through all of that, and… no, Cloud. I'm gonna stick by you. After all, I want to meet your friends."

"Heh," Cloud chuckled. "Um, yeah."

Cloud wasn't sure the underground group would want to be randomly "met" by a stranger who already had Shinra on her tails. However he figured there was nothing he could do about it at this point.

"So Cloud, in SOLDIER. What rank were you?" Aeris asked.

Cloud stood up. "First class."

Aeris sunk in her seat a bit. "Oh, that's funny." Although her voice had no trace of humor in it. "It's the same rank as him."

"Who?" Cloud asked.

"My first boyfriend," Aeris replied.

Cloud sighed. He had seen a lot of couples get torn by military involvement. Many of his friends had lost their girlfriends as a result. It's why he chose never to really get involved with anybody once he joined. But there was that one girl…

"You were, serious?" Cloud asked.

"Sort of," Aeris sighed, lightly swinging.

Cloud shook his head. It was a bad idea for her to have fallen for a member of SOLDIER, he figured. Suddenly the gates of Sector 7 began to slide open. Aeris and Cloud looked over and saw a large wagon being pulled by an equally large yellow bird: a Chocobo.

"Hey, we should head to Sector 7 now that the gate's open," Cloud said. He jumped off the swing and began to walk towards the gate. However the cart turned to pull in to the Sector 6 town of Wall Market, and Cloud noticed someone riding in the back.

It was strange, she had the same face as Tifa, the same build. And yet she was wearing a glowing blue dress. It was only when the two made eye contact that Cloud snapped out of his confusion.

"That's Tifa," Cloud said quietly.

"So that's Tifa…she's your… girlfriend?" Aeris asked.

Cloud shook his head. "No, she's an old childhood friend. Listen, I'm sorry but I need to cut this short, I have to go find out what she's up to."

Aeris smiled and walked up to Cloud. "Let me guess. You want me to go home?"

Aeris at this point was so close to Cloud that if he had shivered he would knock her over. He could smell the flowers on her. It wasn't a perfume, it was the natural scent. However, Cloud seemed completely unimpressed.

"Yes," he replied tersely.

Aeris frowned and poked his nose. "Not gonna happen. Besides, you're the one concerned about my safety right? Are you gonna ask an unescorted lady to walk home through all this?"

Cloud looked back at the labyrinth of wreckage and finally caved. "All right. But tread lightly. You do know what kind of place Wall Market is right?"

Aeris rolled her eyes. "Legalized prostitution, mob rule, yeah I think I have a bit of an idea what Wall Market is like. Remember, I live here."

The two walked through a "pathway" cleared in the wreckage. The fresh cart tracks led towards a large mansion the was built back against a wall; perhaps the name sake of the town. Aside from that mansion, the rest of the buildings were in about the same shape as Sector 5. The one exception to this rule was the brothel nearby, enchantingly titled "The Honeybee Inn".

Cloud had been here a time or two before. He had arrived here his first week in Midgar and got lost amongst the seemingly backwards culture. Bright lights of the city above and below, alcohol and drugs easily accessible and of course the overall objectification of women.

All the rumors of the violence and lack of morals that flowed from Midgar; Cloud believed that this was their epicenter.

"Do your bodyguard a favor, and stay close to me okay?" Cloud asked.

"Oh relax Cloud," Aeris replied. "They haven't legalized kidnapping yet."

"Right, because it's illegal that will stop it," Cloud sighed.

"No really," Aeris explained. "Because they've legalized about everything else, crime in this area is very low."

Cloud smacked his head, desperate to retort, but it was clear that Aeris was not the kind of girl you could reason with. Try as he might, Cloud could not remember knowing _any _girl who could be reasoned with. Aeris's street smarts and general stubbornness made her all the more annoying.

Aeris ran towards the mansion and Cloud ran after her. He found that, even with his SOLDIER training, keeping up with her was tough. Maybe that is why she was so confident. Of course, Cloud remembered that this girl probably spent most of her life running.

The mansion of the local mob boss, Don Corneo, was just as gaudy inside as it was outside. Neon lights everywhere, various items from across the world, strewn almost randomly about the place. Of course, all that Aeris and Cloud got to see was the main foyer. They were stopped by a bouncer, who wore an outfit that said "I'm strong, but not smart."

"Hey man, the Don ain't interested in dudes. Your friend is welcome to come in, of course," the bouncer announced.

"What's going on in there?" Aeris asked.

The bouncer seemed almost astonished that Aeris knew how to speak, but answered her question all the same: "Well the Don, believe it or not, has decided that his young days of partying are at an end and in his middle age he should settle down with a wife."

Aeris seemed impressed, as if she had personal knowledge of the Don's behavior. "Oh really? So is he courting somebody?"

The bouncer laughed. "Ah, not exactly. You see we have some applicants who are going to appear before the Don and he will choose from them."

Aeris's expression returned to her usual judging glance. "I see. You wouldn't know if a girl named Tifa is in there?"

The bouncer also seemed amazed that Aeris had used the words "girl" and "name" in the same sentence, however: "Ah, let me see? We've only had one girl show up so far. She was wearing a blue dress and had dark brown hair. Is that your friend?"

"That sounds like Tifa," Cloud replied. "Listen we need to speak to her."

The bouncer shook his head. "Sorry brother, not today. Maybe if the Don doesn't choose her you can have her later, but right now the answer is no."

Aeris and Cloud stepped away from the bouncer.

"Well this isn't good," Aeris sighed.

"Hey listen, we're getting in this place if I have to bust that guy up," Cloud said.

Aeris shook her head. "Don't do it. Don's men are among the best in the business. Even a SOLDIER needs to know when he's outnumbered."

Cloud hated to admit that she had a point.

"Listen, I'll go in there and Tifa and I can think of a way out," Aeris said. "I'll tell her that you sent me."

Cloud put his hand on her shoulder. Aeris shivered a bit under the pressure of his hand. "No you won't. I've let you do a lot of crazy things today, but that's where I draw the line. Maybe we could bribe the bouncer."

Aeris began looking Cloud up and down and then started to giggle. Cloud let go of her and thought for a moment that she was being even more condescending than usual.

"What?" Cloud asked.

"Cloud, you should dress up like a girl," Aeris explained.

Cloud looked back at the bouncer and then at Aeris. "Have you lost your mind?"

"No, think about it. The bouncer is obviously not that smart. If you just put on a dress, a wig and maybe a little make-up he'll think you're a woman. Just enough to get inside and find out if Tifa is alright. You can go ahead and 'bust the place up' on our way out," Aeris explained.

Cloud sat down on the rug and put his head in his hands. Today was beginning to be a very long day indeed.

"Fine," Cloud sighed.

Aeris walked as seductively as she could manage up to the bouncer. "Listen, I want to get dolled up for the Don so I'll be back, but I'm also gonna bring a cute friend with me, okay?"

The bouncer nodded. "All right, sure."

"Thanks, love," Aeris smiled and blew a kiss at the bouncer. She and Cloud walked out of the mansion.

Bill Mayhew was having a dry spell. He owned one of the oldest dress shops in town, and as such, the oldest dresses in town. The fashion world had always been a fickle business, and even with the addition of his daughter to his work, their practice of dress-making had been in the tubes for almost six months now.

And so, he was at his usual haunt: a small pub near the mansion of Don Corneo, drinking away his woes. He heard the bell of the door ring and saw a lovely young woman enter wearing a pink dress. He recognized it immediately. The modest cut, the button-down skirt and the tasteful but still appealing blouse. It was his own handiwork.

The woman was escorted by a young man with spikey blonde hair wearing the uniform of a SOLDIER. He could tell right away that they weren't from around these parts.

"Excuse me sir," Aeris asked him. "We heard that you were a dressmaker."

"I was, back in the day. When dresses like that were considered skimpy. Back when people left something to the imagination. Boy this town has gone to hell…" Bill sighed.

Aeris smiled nervously and continued. "Um well, we would like you to make a dress for us."

Bill looked up at Aeris. "I'm afraid my craft has gone too. All my fashion is out-of-date and a girl as lovely as yourself deserves to wear the very best."

Aeris blushed. "Well thank you, but the dress isn't for me."

Bill's curiosity was now piqued, and he turned away from his drink. "So then… who is it for? I need at least the measurements of the person to work."

Aeris put her hand on Cloud's shoulder. "The dress is for him."

Bill spit some of his drink out. He gazed upon the tall man with a muscular build. He was definitely a manly man. So why in the world was he doing something like this?

"You're not a fruitcake are you son?" Bill asked.

"No, it's not like that. It's um… more complex," Cloud explained.

"Probably some guvment mission… alright count me in. This is a lot more interesting than my normal work," Bill replied.

Within a few hours, the dress was made. Cloud had acquired a blonde wig from the daughter of the shop-owner. Apparently she knew some other guys who liked to cross-dress that hung out at the gym. Cloud found the whole situation just ridiculous.

"Alright," Aeris smiled, sporting a brand new crimson dress. "Ready to get to work?"

Aeris carried her clothes in a bag she bought. She offered to carry Cloud's as well, but Cloud said that he would rather be able to get out of these clothes as fast as possible, so he wore his own on underneath.

The bouncer saw the dolled-up Aeris and Cloud and was speechless. He just opened the door for them and stuttered: "You're f-friend's hot too."

They were escorted by a man wearing a dark blue tuxedo to a "waiting room". The waiting room was in the basement of the mansion, which was clearly used as the Don's

S & M room. There was a rack, stocks, a bondage chair and table. Whips, hot coal applicators and all manner of bondage toys lay around the room.

They saw Tifa sitting on the table (obviously refusing to sit in the chair). Tifa looked at Aeris and Cloud as though they were strangers. Cloud forgot that he was dressed like a woman and began to speak casually.

"Tifa are you alright?" Cloud asked.

"Um, who are you?" Tifa asked.

Cloud removed the wig. "It's me Cloud."

"You're alive!" Tifa ran up and hugged him. "But why are you dressed like a woman," Tifa replied, part nervous smiling, part expression of horror.

"I know it's ridiculous, but it's the only way I could get in here to help you out," Cloud explained.

Tifa sighed. "A little above and beyond there, aren't we?"

Aeris began to giggle and Cloud scowled at her.

"What's going on?" Cloud asked.

Tifa began to pace the room. "So we head back to Sector 7, convinced that you're dead. We get attacked by some soldiers who, after some persuasion, reveal to us that Corneo is actually a Shinra mole. So Barrett tells me not to get involved, but I decide that if Corneo is on our doorsteps, Shinra isn't far behind. I decided to come here and bust his chops until I get the info I need, so I have to win this stupid game of his."

Cloud nodded.

Aeris coughed lightly. "Um, I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

Tifa turned to Aeris. "Not a problem. I'm Tifa, and you are…"

"Aeris," Aeris replied. "Don't worry, I'm just his friend."

Cloud sighed.

A man came down to the room and escorted the three "women" to the Don's Room. The Don's Room was the most gaudy of all. A red light, black light and blue light all hung from one fixture and strobed slowly. The bed was completely oversize. Easily four people could sleep in it. Cloud began to think that was the idea. A large neon lamp was behind his bed next to a chest of "goodies".

The Don himself, was very clearly aged. He looked like a man who had once been somewhat attractive, but wrinkles, excess weight and poor fashion sense had more than taken care of that. An unkempt mohawk and oversize shades only heightened the effect.

"Oh my, you all look so lovely," the Don smiled. "Now who should I choose?"

The Don looked over all of the "ladies" carefully. The Don's expression changed from one of childish glee to that of suspicion, or at least careful deliberation. He was looking right at Cloud. Cloud put his hand behind his back, getting ready to withdraw his carefully hidden sword when the Don announced: "This one!"

Tifa and Aeris were escorted out and the Don signaled for Cloud to join him on the bed. Cloud laughed on the inside that this old man had considered a man the most attractive.

"So how are we going to do this?" Corneo asked. "We could start slow if you want, or just get started now."

Cloud slid closer to Corneo. "Well you see," he said not attempting to mask his voice. "I already have a man."

Corneo laughed. "My what a deep voice you have. Exotic. Who is this man of yours?"

"Barrett," Cloud said.

Corneo began to tremble and perspire. Outside, the sounds of a struggle were heard, and the doors to his bedroom burst open. Tifa and Aeris had apparently found time to change during the scuffle and Cloud decided it was time to do the same. He tore off his dress and wig and pulled out the Buster Sword.

"Alright Corneo, what information have you been feeding the Shinra?" Cloud demanded, holding his sword at the man's midsection.

"I can't tell you!" Corneo cried. "They'll kill me!"

Cloud raised his sword up to Corneo's head. "And what do you think I'm gonna do if you don't tell me?" Cloud slammed his sword down into the bed just short of Corneo's groin.

Corneo yelped "I told them about you all. I told them where you were hiding. I'm just glad you rats weren't in Sector 6 is all."

Tifa looked into Corneo's eyes. "What do you mean by that?"

Corneo began to sob uncontrollably. "I can't tell you anymore, please!"

Cloud raised his sword from the bed, and finally Corneo caved.

"They're going to crush you! With the plate! They're going to blow up the support pillar over Sector 7, please that's all I know!" Corneo sobbed.

Cloud looked at Tifa. "The support pillar?! We have to warn Barret!"

Tifa nodded. "Let's go!"

The three began to run, but were stopped by Corneo shouting "Wait!"

They turned around and looked at the man, who now seemed slightly more confident. Cloud did not like his expression.

"Just one more thing. It's important," Corneo said. "Why do you think I told you all of this, knowing what the Shinra will do to me? 1) Because I'd given up hope. 2) Because I'm sure of victory. Or 3) Because I'm Insane."

Cloud saw it a moment too late, the Don's hand reaching for a lever and the parties unfortunate position over a very large trap door.

"Number 2," Cloud said as he threw his dress at Corneo. It did nothing to stop him from pressing the switch that sent the three plummeting down into the dark sewers below Sector 6.


	8. Chapter 7: Reno

Chapter VII: Reno

The Shinra Tower was filled with activity today. The usual squabbling of politicians aside, there were members of SOLDIER, high ranking generals in the Shinra Army, and all of the Turks had been recalled from their missions. Tonight there was going to be a big meeting regarding the "next phases of Shinra Inc." and everyone wanted to be the first to hear what the big-wigs had to say.

Reno sat in his relatively small office, one that he had until a year ago shared with his comrade Rude. Reno had been promoted in the ranks of the Turks, so to speak, and now held a position second only to that of Tseng, the leader of the Turks. Sure there was more paper-work and he didn't get to go out in the field quite as often, but on the plus side he was called into any matter of great importance almost right away and had a hot secretary to boot.

His suit had a look about it. Not exactly professional, but it still gave him a somewhat sophisticated air. He had declared it "business casual" to his superiors, although they were not entirely supportive of it. His top two shirt buttons were unbuttoned, he refused to wear a tie, and his jacket was flat-out missing the buttons. He also frequently slouched, didn't iron his shirt, kept his hands in his pockets even when reporting to superiors and wore an absurd hairstyle. The spiky red hair was claimed to add intimidation to his opponents, but Tseng knew the only reason Reno wore it was to pick up girls.

There was a knock at his door.

"Come on in, yo," Reno shouted.

It was Tseng. He was the exact thing that Reno tried to avoid. Proper, well-dressed, and a kiss ass. True, to maintain his position of authority Reno had to be those things himself from time to time, but he detested it. Not that he didn't like Tseng; he just chose not to share those character traits.

"Well, you look a mess as usual," Tseng chuckled. "You bored?"

"Why, what have you got for me?" Reno asked.

Tseng was holding a brown envelope with a black tip. There was also a red tracer just underneath the black line, which meant this was both an assassination mission and a mission of extreme urgency. While this was the kind of mission Reno liked to undertake, he always got specifics before agreeing to any mission. What was the point of being able to turn down missions if you didn't exercise it?

"We're crushing the terrorist group AVALANCHE in one fell swoop," Tseng explained.

"Oh so they're finally giving that job to us Turks, yo?" Reno grinned.

Tseng nodded. "This will require both of us and Rude. Go over the file and meet me at the helipad in twenty minutes."

Tseng began to walk away and Reno stood up. "Wait a minute, no briefing?"

"Due to the top secret nature of this mission, a spoken briefing was discouraged. Rude has an identical file. When you are done, shred it and empty your shredder immediately," Tseng explained.

Reno nodded and began to peruse the file. This was the ultimate in assassination missions. He would be killing every single person in the Sector 7 Slums.

Of the many deleterious circumstances which Cloud had considered before entering Don Corneo's mansion, ending up in the middle of a sewer after falling from a trap door never crossed his mind. The air smelt of rats, machinery, and of course, sewage. Cloud lifted his head, and spit out some of the foul, dark liquid which had been forced into his throat upon landing. He searched his pockets for anything to dull the taste, but there was nothing.

He looked around, expecting his comrades to be near him. Tifa had somehow fallen a few yards away from him, near a gate. She had tried to utilize her martial arts talent to dull the pain of the landing by bouncing off of something, although Cloud had no idea what. He looked behind him and saw Aeris, lying next to a ladder. She seemed to be uninjured, but Cloud wasn't about to take any chances.

"Tifa!" He called. "Are you okay?"

Tifa got up. She had a deep laceration on the back of her left arm, and several other bruises along her legs. "My head is killing me, but other than that I think I'm okay." Tifa pulled a bandage out of her hip-bag and began to wrap up her arm. "Go check on Aeris."

Cloud lifted up Aeris. He knew this was stupid, all of his SOLDIER training told him to never move an injured person until you were certain there was no head or neck trauma, but he had to see for himself. She had seen better days, but of the two Tifa was the more injured. Aeris only had a minor scrape on her palm and bruises in similar places as Tifa. She was still unconscious though. Probably because she wasn't as used to being hurt as Tifa and Cloud. That was actually a little sad, Cloud thought.

"She's just unconscious. I can't tell if she has internal injuries or not, but we did fall about a hundred feet. We should get her checked out as soon as we get back," Cloud said.

"Back to where?" Tifa asked. "We're too late. Sector 7 is probably gone by now."

"Well we won't know until we actually go there, now will we? Come on, if I trust anyone to hold off Shinra, that Barret guy can do it," Cloud said.

Tifa sighed. "You don't really believe that."

"No. All the more reason we should go give him some back-up," Cloud replied.

Tifa laughed and wiped her eyes. Cloud turned away; he knew that Tifa didn't like to be seen crying. He understood that. Cloud chose to take this time to survey the sewers and try to find a way out. Near the ladder where Aeris lay was a walkway. It took them up and over the gate to another ladder that led out of the sewers. Cloud's internal compass said west, which meant that ladder would bring them out at least near Sector 7. If the plate had already fallen, this would be one short trip.

He went over to Aeris and began to shake her. "Come on Aeris, time to wake up!"

Aeris grunted and leaned up. "My prettiest dress ever, all ruined," she laughed.

Tifa smiled. "You're tougher than you look."

Cloud nodded. Aeris wasn't complaining about her injuries at all. Even some 1st Class SOLDIER members would bitch after falling from that height.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Cloud asked.

"How many times are you gonna ask me that question today?" Aeris smiled standing up. She stumbled a bit, but quickly got her footing back. Cloud grabbed her shoulder to support her. "I'm fine Cloud, stop trying to cop a feel." Aeris laughed, but she didn't push him off. Cloud looked down. Aeris was favoring her left side. A sprained ankle, most likely. A broken bone and she wouldn't be standing.

"Are you going to be able to get up that ladder?" Cloud asked.

"I'll be fine," Aeris sighed, and began to climb. Tifa went after her and Cloud brought up the rear. Aeris leaned against the wall as they walked. Tifa took the lead and Cloud was in the back.

"Sahagin like to dwell in the sewers," Cloud explained. "And they never attack from the front."

Sahagin were a strange tribe of creatures who seemed to be genetic descendents of the Adamantoise. They had a hard shell on their back, but had arms and legs like a human. They wielded sharpened pikes which they often used to attack an enemy from the back.

They didn't encounter a Sahagin, although they heard hisses, and the padding of small feet on water. Every time Cloud turned around, he swore he saw small shadows ducking into cover. They reached the ladder and began to climb up to whatever remained of Sector 7.

The other side of the metal manhole cover, was a site of wreckage. However, this was a wreck that had already been there.

"We're in the train graveyard," Tifa said. "That means Sector 7 is still okay!"

"We need to hurry, though. We might not have long," Cloud ordered.

Navigating the maze of decommissioned trains proved a task in-and-of itself. Aside from the fact that these cars had not been in the best of shape when they had been brought here, and that over time they had been beaten, bludgeoned, moved and vandalized, it was amazing that they could be dealt with at all. Technically, the train graveyard culminated an area that spanned across Sector's 6, 7, and 8. However the only occupied space, so far, lied in Sector 7. It was almost full though, and Tifa couldn't help but fear that most of these trains were damaged by terrorist groups such as her own.

So much wasted life; no wonder people chose to side with Shinra.

"I think we've just about made it," Cloud said, pointing to a train car that still seemed to be in moveable order. "I just need to bring that train closer to the one over there and we can climb out of this mess."

"Do you know how to drive a train?" Aeris asked.

"Not really, so stand back this might get interesting." Cloud cautioned.

Despite a few shaky starts, Cloud managed to move the train forward, close enough to their escape route. He jumped out of the train and helped Aeris get to the ladder near the back. They jumped off of the train over a smaller, broken one and arrived at the train station.

There was a massive group of people waiting here, apparently waiting for a train. Tifa knew that it wasn't coming though. No way Shinra would bring one of their trains here now. The sound of gunfire resonated off in the distance, which appeared to be the source of the mass's sudden migratory urge.

"Shinra is attacking the pillar that supports the plate!" Cloud shouted. "There's no train coming! You have to head to the gate to Sector 6 and get in there. If security guards try to stop you, knock them over or you'll all die anyways. If the gate is locked try the one at Sector 8. If that doesn't work, then get into the basement of the sturdiest building you can find and pray!"

The mass began to panic now, knocking each other over, some running in the direction of Sector 6, others in the direction of Sector 8. A few people didn't believe Cloud and stayed put, vainly hoping for a train to arrive. Cloud didn't have the time to reason with them. He ran to the pillar, with Aeris and Tifa following close behind him.

"Aeris, you can't fight," Cloud said.

"Why not? I've only known you for a day and I've been through my fair share of fights," Aeris argued.

"Your leg. You'll just slow us down," Cloud said.

Tifa patted Aeris on the shoulder.

"Aeris, could you do me a favor?" Tifa asked.

"Of course," Aeris smiled, turning to Tifa.

"I own a bar here, called Seventh Heaven. In it, there is a little girl named Marlene. Her father is up there fighting, so he can't do it, but can you please take her to safety?" Tifa asked.

Aeris smiled. She knew this was exactly what Cloud wanted, but at least now she could be helpful. She wondered why a person who just met her was so concerned with her well-being. Well, her _physical_ well-being at least. Maybe he really did consider her a burden, or maybe he just felt responsible for her. Either way, it was not exactly a quality she found attractive, but she was grateful that he was trying to keep her safe. So she decided to indulge him this one favor, more for Tifa than him, of course.

"Alright, leave it to me. And don't worry, if any security guards or monsters show up," Aeris kicked up the back of her staff. "Bam!"

Aeris walked off towards the bar.

"You know, I don't want you in danger either, so if you want to skip this one out-" Cloud was cut off by Tifa laughing.

"Like hell, you think I'm going to miss the best fight against the Shinra we've ever had?" Tifa grinned and tightened her gloves.

Cloud nodded and ran through the gate that blocked the pillar area. The pillar was a massive metal and concrete beam that was strategically centered on the weakest focal point of all the plates. Directly on the narrow ends fulcrum. The outer edges were supported by a massive metal ring that had been arbitrarily been drawn around the city when it first came under construction. However, despite this fail-safe, if the pillar was destroyed, the exterior ring would not hold it. The force of the narrow side collapsing would degrade the integrity of the outer edge, until it broke apart, a process which would take only a few minutes at the most.

Everyone underneath the Plate would be crushed, and those on top would experience a mild earthquake. Maybe a few casualties and a handful of injuries. Life in Midgar was great, if you were an overworlder.

Cloud's thought process was shattered by the vision of Wedge falling from the top of the pillar and landing on the bottom set of stairs.

"Wedge!" Cloud shouted. He ran over to the body of his comrade. His body was pierced by several bullets and his skin looked as though it had been run through a 10,000 volt charge.

"Cloud," Wedge chuckled, spitting out blood. "You remembered my name. Thought you didn't care..."

"Hold on Wedge, we're gonna get you help, save your energy," Cloud began to fish through his pockets for anything to help. "No, it's too late. I'm lung-shot. Barret's at the top, help him."

"Damn it Wedge, don't give up," Cloud ordered.

"I'm not as tough as you EX-SOLDIER. Help those who you can. You can't help me... always thought you didn't care," Wedge's eyes closed and his pulse faded.

Cloud smashed his sword against the railing of the stairwell, ripping it from the foundation. "Damn it!"

He began to run up the stairs, with Tifa following close behind. The Shinra soldiers on the way up posed absolutely no threat to Cloud and Tifa. They had already taken down more than their fair share in the two Mako Reactor explosions, and both of them were filled with rage, sorrow, blood lust. Passing by the corpse of Biggs on their way up only heightened that fury. They reached the second-to-top level and saw Jesse, bleeding badly and hanging onto a sub-machine gun.

"Damn it, Jesse, not you too," Cloud shouted.

"Those Shinra bastards know just where to shoot, you know? Most guys aim for center mass, but these guys. Arteries, major organs. They must have taught you too, Cloud," Jesse gasped out from the pain.

"Yeah, they did. And I'm going to make sure they all suffer for this!" Cloud said.

"Give them hell Cloud," Jesse smiled. Even with her wounds and scarred face, she looked beautiful. Cloud picked up the submachine gun from Jesse's hands and tossed it to Tifa. Tifa almost missed it, trying to hide her tears. "I'm sorry."

"You've done nothing to apologize for," Cloud said. "You fought well."

Jesse leaned up to Cloud and kissed him on the cheek. She then fell back onto the metal grating. Cloud closed her eyes and patted her shoulder. He then ran up the final stairs. Tifa and Cloud were both exhilarated to see that Barret was still alive and shooting his gun-arm at a passing helicopter. It flew around another minor support pillar, but it was just getting ready for a second attack.

"About time you two showed up," Barret shouted. He then turned away from them. "How are the others?"

"They didn't make it," Cloud said, hanging his head.

"They didn't have much of a chance, I suppose. I never should have gotten them involved. This is all my fault," Barret cursed.

"Get a hold of yourself Barret. You were a leader, you had to make a risky decision that led you men to their deaths. But you know what. Not a single one of them regretted it. They were proud to give their lives. They didn't follow you because they knew you would keep them safe. They followed you because they believed that if they did fall, you would get the job done or die along side them. One way or another," Cloud said.

Barret nodded and wiped his face. "You're right. Besides I still got three people in this world that I gotta protect. Tifa, Marlene and even your spikey-headed ass!"

"We're with you all the way, Barret!" Tifa smiled.

Cloud simply nodded.

"It's coming around for another attack run. That helicopter isn't armed, but the guys inside it sure as hell are. It's Turks, and they know what the hell they're doing," Barret said. "Stay low and try to get them before they get you!"

Reno was piloting the helicopter. While the SA-930 wasn't exactly the chopper he was used to, it had some nifty features. Though it lacked weapons, it made up for it by being able to support 30 passengers for emergency deployment. It also featured something revolutionary called "auto-pilot" which allowed Reno to jump right into the fray at any time. The helicopter's auto-pilot would automatically track the pilot and circle around him, while avoiding obstacles on the way. The best feature of all, in Reno's mind, was that the pilot directly controlled the two grappling hooks this chopper had attached to its base and tail-section. He'd have to ride one of these around town later so that he could literally say he went around "picking up" chicks.

It was jokes such as this one that distracted Reno from the horror he was about to unleash upon Sector 7. He had to keep his mind occupied and think of it as simply a mission. Otherwise, he would have gone mad long ago.

"Hey Tseng," Reno called out. "I think there's something down there that you might want."

Reno was referring the girl in the pink dress that he had chased around just yesterday, walking towards Sector 5 with a little girl.

It was the Ancient.

"I see her. Let's land this baby and offer her a ride home," Tseng grinned.

The grappling hooks deployed onto two metal beams to help Reno land softly and navigate the narrow trenches that were Sector 6. The second they touched down, Aeris and the girl began to run, but it was too late. Tseng and Rude grabbed her arms. The little girl ran up and kicked Rude's knee, but she was then picked up by Reno. She tried to bite him, but Reno lifted her up by her arms.

"Relax, kid. You can't get me. I had a niece about your age once," Reno said.

"Please, don't hurt her," Aeris cried.

"Yo, lady, I'm not about to hurt a little girl," Reno dropped Marlene. "You on the other hand," Reno smacked her hard across the face. "You injured three of my best men."

"And you tried to kill me. If they didn't want to be hurt they shouldn't have chased me," Aeris replied coldly.

Reno's anger melted from his face and he began to chuckle. "Well I don't feel so bad. You're about to meet my friend Hojo. That sick fuck will do to you what you did to my men."

"Are you done, Reno?" Tseng asked.

"Yes, sir. What are we going to do about the kid?" Reno asked.

"We don't need her as a hostage. Let her go," Tseng ordered. "As for this one," Tseng handcuffed Aeris. "Let's get back and finish the job."

The helicopter soared over Cloud's head. "He's coming down on this side!"

Tifa began firing wildly at the chopper with the sub-machine gun Cloud handed her. Most of the shots were missing, and soon the clip was out of ammo. Barret's shots, while more properly aimed, barely dented the personnel carrier. Suddenly, the pilot's door burst open and out of the chopper leapt a man in a dark suit, though poorly maintained, with spikey red hair.

"What's up, yo?" The Turk grinned. "My name is Reno of the Turks, and I'll be your host for this night's performance of Armageddon."

Reno pressed a button on the bomb that was attached to the pillar.

"Damn it!" Barret shouted. He pointed his gun-arm at Reno and began to fire. Reno lifted a large rod with a tazer on the end of it and created an electromagnetic shield in front of him which blocked the bullets.

"Whoa, I'd thought you'd be running like the rats you are. Guess I underestimated you. Don't think about trying to disarm that bomb, either. If anyone but my buddy Rude tries to disable it, it'll go up in your face," Reno explained. He jumped over the edge of the pillar and landed in the pilot's seat of the chopper. He brought it back up and the door opened. Tseng stared Barret in the face.

"You know, you should stop shooting that. You wouldn't want anything to happen to our guest," Tseng grinned, lifting up Aeris.

"Aeris!" Tifa shouted.

"You bastard!" Cloud cursed.

"Tifa! She's alright. She's safe!" Aeris cried before being shoved back Tseng.

"I should thank you for both assuring the destruction of AVALANCHE in total, but also by leading the Ancient here as well. You performed spectacularly Cloud," Tseng smiled.

"Go to hell!" Cloud shouted.

"After you," Tseng smiled as the initial explosion near the top of the pillar went off. "Think you can still make it out alive? Please try, it will be amusing to watch you squirm." The chopper lifted up, above the plate towards the Shinra building.

"What do we do now?" Tifa cried.

One of the support wires that connected the plates together fell loose from the plate. Barret grabbed it as it fell. "We'll use this! Come on!"

Cloud grabbed the bottom section and Tifa grabbed a portion while sitting on Barret's shoulders. They used this wire to swing over the gate and into Sector 6, just as all hell broke loose and Sector 7 was crushed.


	9. Chapter 8: Hojo

Chapter VIII: Hojo

President Shinra watched from the 69th floor of the Shinra Tower. He acted as a witness to the horror and bloodshed that he had ordered. And he would watch as the Sector 7 plate fell to the ground, crushing the terrorists once and for all. He listened to an opera, to distract him from the horrible noise that would be made when the plate finally crushed the vermin. The opera echoed throughout the entire floor; no amount of decibels was enough to distract him from the voice of a thousand souls being ripped from existence.

Only a few hours ago he'd been arguing with his staff. The idealistic urban planner, Reeve, objected to his solution. Not that Shinra could blame him. It was, afterall, his job to deal with the fall-out. But it seemed to be the only way to deal with the rats. If he couldn't hunt them down, or even lure them out with a slice of cheese then the only solution remaining seemed to be was block their mousehole and let them die slowly and surely.

And so he callously instructed Reeve to take a personal day and ordered Tseng to proceed with the operation. And soon, the plate would collapse and the entire city of Midgar would be in panic. But Shinra would immediatly conduct a search-and-rescue, putting their fears to rest. They would blame the terrorists, of course, and trust Shinra even more. His plan was perfect.

The foundation of the building shook, and Shinra leaned forward. There was a small explosion and the base of the plate began to fall rapidly. He switched on a news channel and saw a reporter calmly dictating the current events. And then he heard the noise. The reporter's calm face slowly turned to one of abject horror. He looked up, slowly and then the feed dissapeared.

Shinra smiled. He had done it. This was the end of the terrorist threat.

Cloud awoke in a pile of rubble. He looked around him and saw the naturally occuring wreckage that was the Sector 6 Slums. How had he arrived here? His mind replayed the events that led up to this moment. Leading Aeris and Tifa through the Train Graveyard. Arriving at the support pillar in time... wait, did he? He remembered there being a battle. He looked around at the Sector 7 gate, and saw the massive wrecked plate lying precariously on the wreckage that had once been Sector 7.

Cloud looked around him, and saw the bodies of his comrades, Barrett and Tifa. He seriously wondered if they were alive, or if Shinra had succeeded in his plan to eradicate all the members of AVALANCHE.

"Tifa!" Cloud shouted. "Tifa, are you all right?"

Tifa moved slowly. Her eyes opening and then shutting instantly. "What happened?"

"The plate... it fell. Sector 7 is completely destroyed," Cloud said.

Tifa rolled over and stumbled to her feet. She looked up at the wreckage and her eyes filled with horror. She sunk right back to her knees, her hands pressed against the earth. "This is just like... no it's worse...Shinra keeps destroying every home I have. Everyone that I care about."

Cloud was in no position to try and console Tifa. There was nothing he could say. Thousands had been slaughtered for no reason other than to satisfy Shinra's need for total dominance. What could he say? Things would be okay? They would make things better? No, there was no point in lying.

Barret slowly stood up, and Cloud could tell now that he had not been unconcious, but rather just lying on the ground, stewing in his own sense of failure and guilt. The behemoth of a man now looked somewhat less intimidating. His eyes were red from holding back the tears, his torso beaten and bruised from the fight. He looked like hell.

"Barret, are you okay?" Cloud asked.

Barret would have, under normal circumstances, shouted confidently and berated Cloud. But now he stood there, soulless. He didn't even acknowledge Cloud. He just lifted his gunarm and began to fire angrily upon the rubble.

"Biggs... Wedge... Jessie..." Barret cursed.

"All three of them were in the pillar," Cloud sighed.

"This is all screwed up! They destroyed an entire village just to get to us! They killed so many people..." Barret slammed his fist against the rubble.

Cloud looked down the road to Sector 6. And then he remembered something important. "Barret."

"What is it?" Barret asked.

"Marlene. Aeris took Marlene to Sector 5," Cloud said. He ran down the ruined highway, with Barret and Tifa tailing close behind.

Aeris's house seemed undisturbed. Barret rushed up the stairs and Cloud could hear the cries of joy coming from the panic-stricken father. Elmyra looked at Cloud expectantly.

"Sorry. The Shinra have her," Cloud said. Elmyra burst out into tears. Cloud could understand her pain, but he had to ask.

"Why is Shinra after Aeris?"

"Aeris is an Ancient. The sole survivor," Elmyra replied, calming down.

"...What did you say? But, aren't you her mother?" Tifa asked.

" Not her real mother. Oh... it must have been 15 years ago...during the war. My husband was sent to the front. Some far away

place called Wutai. One day, I went to the station because I got a letter saying he was coming home on leave. My husband never came back. I wonder if something happened to him? No, I'm sure his leave was just canceled. I went to the station everyday. Then, one day I saw a woman. She was hurt badly and carrying in her arms a little girl. You used to seethis sort of thing a lot during the war. Her last words were, 'Please take Aeris somewhere safe.' My husband never came back. I had no child.I was probably lonely. So I decided to take her home with me. Aeris andI became close very quickly. That child loved to talk. She used to talk

to me about everything. She told me she escaped from some kind of research laboratory somewhere. And that her mother had already returned to the planet, so she wasn't lonely... and many other things."

"Returned... to the planet?" Cloud asked.

" I didn't know what she meant. I asked if she meant a star in the sky, but she said it was this planet... She was a mysterious child

in many ways," Elmyra explained. "One day, Aeris told me not to cry. She just blurted that out all of a sudden. When I asked her if something happened she said 'Someone dear to you has just died. His spirit was coming to see you, but he already returned to the planet.' At that time I didn't believe her. But... Several days later, we received a notice saying my husband died. And that's how it was. A lot had happened, but we were happy. Until one day the Turks came. That man, Tseng, told Aeris that she was an Ancient. She denied it... but she must have known. Of course I heard it. That she was an 'Ancient'. But she denied it so fervently that I never brought it up."

"So, the Shinra want to use Aeris' power for their own good?" Tifa asked.

"It's said that... the Ancients will lead us to a Promised Land. I guess the Shinra want to exploit that," Elmyra sighed.

"Yo!" Barret shouted, barreling down the stairs. "If you're gonna take on the Shinra take me with you Spikey. I owe that girl everything for saving my Marlene."

"That girl is your daughter?" Elmyra asked. She walked up to Barret and slapped him. "How could you leave a girl like that all alone to go off fighting?!"

Barret hung his head in shame. "I know it ain't right. And I may never be able to make it up to her. But she's the reason I'm fighting. I'm fighting so that Marlene can have a better future."

Elmyra scoffed, but then turned her head and nodded. "I understand. I'll look after her."

"Thank you," Barret said. "So, we raiding the Shinra or what?"

"The Shinra operate out of the Shinra Tower in the center of Midgar. Surely you already knew that," Cloud explained.

Barret nodded. "But how we gonna get up there. The trains are in a state of confusion on account of the big-ass plate that fell on the station."

"We'll just have to climb up," Cloud explained. "It's time to pay Shinra back for what they've done."

"Knock knock motherfuckers!" Barret shouted as his gunarm rang through the crowded first floor of the Shinra building.

The first three floors of the Shinra building were connected by a long stairwell that tiered back like a ziggarut. Barret kept his fire aimed at the cieling, as the majority of people here were citizens and not soldiers. Tifa had wanted them to sneak in using the service stairwell, and Barret was fond of bursting in and tearing down the house. Cloud had thought of the brilliant middle ground that they chose. Tifa and Cloud would use the service stairwell and Barret would be the decoy. They would break flank and meet on the 60th Floor if possible.

Two whole squads of Shinra soldiers rushed up to meet Barret, but before they even had a chance to arm their weapons, they were torn down by his fire. Barret rushed up the stairwell to the elevators, but was caught on the second floor by another group of soldiers. Barret shot at two, who fell over the stairwell onto the lobby, landing on a horrified secretary. The third man slashed at Barret's neck with his sword, but missed by inches leaving a deep incision under his ear. Barret picked him up and threw him through the plate glass barrier onto the ground below.

He tore open an elevator door on the third floor and found two SIA attendents carrying clipboards. They were both young girls, and Barret was not about to harm civilians.

"Ladies," Barret said, bowing slightly and pointing his gunarm out the door. The two ran out and hid in a nearby convenience store, which the tower had aplenty for the workers who practically lived in the tower. Barret got on the elevator and pressed the button for floor 60. He'd be lucky if he actually got there on the first try, though.

Cloud and Tifa rushed up the service stairwell. Breaking the lock on the door, they found, was the easy part. Running up 60 flights of stairs, however, took a toll on the body. Even Cloud, with his military physique, was having difficulty keeping his vigor up.

"How many more flights are there?" Tifa asked.

"About 15. We're almost there," Cloud said, panting. "Want me to carry you?"

"Hah," Tifa laughed. "You'd like that wouldn't you?"

"Don't get me wrong. We have to get up there in time to help Aeris. With Barret's distraction, who knows what they might do," Cloud explained.

Tifa shot back Cloud a look as though she'd just been slapped in the face. "Whatever. I just got my second wind anyway."

She tore up the stairs and Cloud had trouble keeping up.

The 60th Floor was practically empty at this point. Several soldiers had run either to the lower floors in an attempt to cut off Barret, or to the higher floors to protect the President. It was a good, secure meeting point for the three.

"Barret, are you okay?" Tifa asked as she noticed the gash in Barret's ear.

"I'm fine. Some SOLDIER punk tried to give me a haircut," Barret grinned. "Guess with his mask on he couldn't see that I don't have any."

"Cut the chatter guys. We need to keep an eye out for soldiers," Cloud ordered.

Barret scoffed. "An' who the hell made you leader?"

"Oh, I see. So are you planning to rush into this building blindly?" Cloud asked.

Barret was a good 4 inches taller than Cloud, but at that moment he felt about 3 feet tall. "Fine, Mr. Ex-SOLDIER. Why don't you tell us where they're keeping Aeris?"

"Hmm. If I recall correctly, the 67th Floor is a Prison Ward and the Turk's Office and right above there is Hojo's Lab. There's also a specimen elevator that connects the floors," Cloud explained.

"Whoa, whoa, back up. Who's this Hojo?" Barret asked.

"I've never actually met the man, but he's Shinra's leading scientist. He's the one responsible for uncovering..." Cloud stopped speaking. His mind raced with images from his past.

"Cloud. Are you okay?" Tifa asked.

"It's nothing. Point is, we need to get to the 67th Floor right now," Cloud explained.

"No problem. I'll take point and if any soldiers see me, I'll run in the opposite direction," Barret chukled.

Fortunately, it didn't come to that and the group made it up to the 66th Floor with little opposition. The 66th Floor was filled with office's and a massive conference room. Barret took an experimental step out the door and then rushed back into the stairwell.

"What's up?" Cloud whispered.

"Every bigwig in town is headin' into that big conference room," Barret explained. "Maybe we oughta take a listen?"

"It's not safe to just wait outside the door," Cloud said. "But if we could get into the vents somehow..."

"What about the bathroom?" Tifa asked.

"Well, you don't have to ask, just wash your hands before you come back," Cloud chuckled.

"No," Tifa moaned. "I meant I bet there are vents in the bathroom for air circulation."

Sure enough, the party found that the nearby bathrooms had vents, but the trick was getting in them. They were, as you would expect, very narrow, but Cloud and Tifa were able to squeeze through with Barret's help.

"Um," Barret laughed. "I don't think I'll be getting in there."

"Just stay on point and we'll let you know what's going on," Tifa said.

The conference room was laid in maroon carpeting, which clashed with the blue throughout the rest of the tower. When the doors were shut, it gave the impression of being trapped in a small box, which conveniently had a table set in the center. Other than that and the portrait of President Shinra behind his seat at the end of the table, this room was empty.

This meeting featured every member of the Shinra Management staff. Sitting on the left side of Shinra was a beautiful blonde woman named Scarlet. She was the head of Shinra Weapons Manufacturing, and the kind of woman whose bad side you avoided at all costs.

Next to her was the large Heidigger. He was the head of the Shinra Military, under Shinra of course, and a four-star general who was renowed for his success in the Wutai Campaign. Across the table from him, deliberately skipping a seat from Shinra's flank, was Reeve. Reeve was the head of Urban Development, and while every other person at this table only had the bare essentials in information, this man seemed buried in notes.

Sitting next to Heidigger was Palmer, a man who was now little more than a figurehead in the office. He was charged with Shinra Aeronautical Research, and in specific the failed space exploration program. Now that space was out of the minds of Shinra, Palmer spent his days working in Mako Research and Development, which was as close to grunt work as a member of the Shinra Heirarchy could get. He had ragged white hair and a pair of half-moon spectacles that seemed too small for him, as though he couldn't afford a new pair.

Finally at the end of the table, leaning on the table was a man in a white lab coat. He had thick black hair in a ponytail and a pair of burgundy bifocles. This was Dr. Hojo, Shinra's leading scientist and author of several of the thesis' that had gotten Shinra where it is today. Though he was somewhat overshadowed by his mentor, the late Dr. Gast, there was no question that he remained one of their best.

"Alright then, now that we've assembled let's get this meeting underway," Shinra said. "Reeve, I'd like to hear from you first."

This was actually a lie. Shinra didn't want to hear from him at all, but he knew that if he didn't let Reeve have an opening tirade, he'd ruin the rest of the meeting. Reeve stood up and opened his folder.

"As far as initial reports can tell, there were a total of 914 casualties and about 1200 injuries to citizens on the Plate of Sector 7. Our excavation crew has not gotten to work yet, but we are for the time being assuming a pessimistic view that all 1398 citizens of Sector 7 were killed from the collision," Reeve explained.

"Minus 1," Scarlet pointed out. "That man, Barret, is running around somewhere in this tower even as we speak."

"I've sent the Turks and SOLDIER to deal with him. He won't get far," Heidigger replied.

"Right. Well this is a rough estimate, I had to scratch together the numbers about an hour ago, but by my guess it will cost us about 17.5 million gil to repair Sector 7," Reeve explained.

And this was where Shinra had to step in, and bring his idealistic colleague back down to earth.

"We're not rebuilding Sector 7," Shinra said. "We're removing all search and rescue teams within 72 hours."

"But, why?" Reeve asked.

"We are re-commencing the Neo-Midgar plan," Shinra explained. "Hojo, how is the specimen?"

Hojo's eyes lit up behind his glasses. "Well, compared to her mother, she is an inferior specimen. Right now the difference is 11. By my estimation, successful extraction of her abilities will take far too long."

"What about the Promised Land?" Shinra asked.

"I've asked, but she's continued to deny everything. I will continue to interrogate her and do what I can to manipulate her abilities, but I would like your permission to set up a failsafe," Hojo asked.

"Do whatever it takes," was Shinra's automatic reply.

"Excellent," Hojo smiled. "We are within the grasp of the Promised Land."

"What do you think he means by that?" Tifa asked, after jumping out of the vent.

"The Promised Land? That's a little vague," Cloud said. "But it sounds familiar. I think Aeris's mother mentioned it."

"Did you find out where Aeris is?" Barret asked.

Cloud nodded. "She's being held in the detention ward on the 67th floor, like I thought. We'd better hurry. Hojo has some sick experiment in mind for her."

"Awright. Let's get upstairs before that nut-job does. We should take the elevator," Barret said.

They snuck down the corridors, narrowly avoiding a man who looked as though he'd had too much coffee, and pressed the elevator button. Cloud was amazed at how little security there was around this area. The elevator opened slowly and Barret ducked back. Cloud and Tifa jumped behind him, around a corner. Out of the elevator walked three men in black suits. Cloud recognized the lead man as Tseng, and the man behind him was Reno. The third was a man with dark skin and rigid features.

"Who's that other guy?" Barret asked.

"Don't know. He must be another Turk," Cloud observed.

Cloud waited for the men to round the corner and signaled the other two. They snuck on the elevator just as the doors closed.

"Okay, somebody explain to me why we haven't found this man yet," Tseng cursed.

Tseng was not just an ordinary Turk. He was, afterall, the Director of the Turks and security breaches tended to interrupt the flow of his day. Reno was, as usual, the first to offer his advice.

"Yo, it's not that big a deal. What can this guy do? He's already shot up the lower floors, now that our security has doubled he'd be an absolute idiot to try and stick around," Reno said.

"Yo," Tseng mocked. "He was the man from Sector 7. He must be here for the Ancient."

"Sir, might the other two be with him?" Rude suggested.

"I wouldn't put it past them. They were, after all, able to take on an entire batallion of Shinra soldiers. I want you to make sure that he doesn't get to the Detention Ward," Tseng ordered.

"I'll get a squad from SOLDIER right up there," Reno said.

"And I'll personally guard it," Rude added.

"Good," Tseng nodded.

Cloud, Barret and Tifa arrived on the 67th floor. This floor was different from the rest. Instead of carpeting and wallpaper, this floor was steel and concrete in all dimensions. The back area was accessible in only one direction, which was guarded by two members of SOLDIER. Their uniforms were identical to the one that Cloud wore, and they wore thick helmets the concealed their entire face. They carried massive swords, similar to Cloud's.

"Those guys look just like you. Are they SOLDIER First Class?" Tifa asked.

"I doubt it," Cloud said. "First Class SOLDIERs rarely get guard duty." Cloud peered at the insignia on their arm brace. "They're Third Class, basically SOLDIER recruits. I could probably take them both out by myself."

"I think we should try a little reconaissance first," Tifa said, glaring at Barret who was warming up his gun-arm. "You're dressed just like them. Grab a helmet and find out if they're keeping Aeris there."

"But where am I supposed to find a helmet lying around?" Cloud asked.

Suddenly a third member of SOLDIER walked around the opposite corner. Tifa froze and Cloud reached for his sword.

"Hey! What are you doing here?!" He shouted.

Barret grabbed him by his uniform collar and smashed his head in a single, swift motion. He dragged the SOLDIER into a nearby room, and Tifa and Cloud ducked in with him.

"Not exactly lying around, but this should work," Barret said as he tossed Cloud the SOLDIER's helmet. "And what do you know. It looks like this SOLDIER boy was top brass."

Cloud took the insignia from the soldier. He was actually onlya 2nd Class SOLDIER, but that was all the leverage that Cloud needed.

"Okay. I'll go deal with the guys who will no doubt be running to aid their comrade. You stay here and deal with anybody who gets nosy," Cloud ordered.

Cloud left the room and shut the door behind him. Sure enough down the hallway to his left came the two soldiers who were guarding the prison wing. They stopped in front of him and saluted, and he returned the salute.

"You two mind telling me what the hell you're doing here?" Cloud demanded.

"Sir, we heard somebody shout," replied the first soldier.

"That was me. I had to chase off two other rookies who were sent here without authority," Cloud explained. "Now do you mind explaining to me why you abandoned your post?"

"Sir, I-" the other began.

"There is a madman in here with a gun who's probably trying to break out one of his buddies and you're just gonna let him slip by you with so easy a distraction, what the hell?" Cloud asked. "If he'd thrown a god damned cookie down here you two would smack into each other trying to get it."

"Sir, we'll get back to our posts at once," the first soldier replied.

"Wait a minute soldier. I need to know the status of the Ancient," Cloud ordered.

"Sir, we cannot comply with that request. You are not authorized," the second soldier shook his head.

"I am carrying down orders from Heidigger himself. He's in a meeting downstairs with Hojo and they need to know the status of the Ancient," Cloud ordered.

"I understand that sir, but I cannot comply with that request," the second soldier stood firm.

Cloud sighed. "Whatever then. Go on back to your post."

The soldiers turned to head back to their post and Cloud smashed the blunt of his blade against the first one's helmet. The second one was fast enough to duck and drew his sword.

"I knew something was fishy!" He shouted.

"Too bad you didn't act on it. The first rule of SOLDIER is go with your instinct," Cloud said.

"And how would you know?" The soldier asked.

Cloud removed his helmet. "I used to be a First Class." The soldier's knees seemed to buckle under him at the glow of Cloud's eyes. "Think you can take me on?"

"I won't lose to you!" He cursed.

"Listen, I'm just here to check on a friend. Where's Aeris?" Cloud ordered.

The second soldier began to laugh. "Sorry, sir. I cannot comply."

Cloud raised his sword, and felt a thin blade slash him in the back. Cloud groaned in pain and leaned back against the wall, which of course sent another stab of pain at his wound. Behind him had appeared two other members of SOLDIER, both Third Class.

"How does it feel, Ex-SOLDIER?" The third one mocked.

"Brings back… the good old days," Cloud mocked.

Cloud lunged at the fourth soldier and ran his blade through him. He then turned and blocked the third soldier's blade with his and grabbed him by the helmet. He smashed his hilt on the soldiers head, then let his blade fall behind him to block the second soldier's sword. With one efficient spin he cut down the final assailant.

"Amateurs," Cloud sighed.

The detention area was quiet, which was a poor sign to begin with. The doors all locked and were full concrete cells without even viewing portals. Even if he shouted his lungs hoarse he would never be heard to somebody inside the cell, which was probably a means of preventing prisoners from planning an escape.

He heard footsteps behind him. He spun around and drew his sword to Barret, who was grinning. "Man, you really are a tough guy. You took down all the guards in this place."

"Leaving five men, even members of SOLDIER, to guard this one floor was stupid. And their leader was incompetent. Aeris should be here, but I don't know where," Cloud said.

"No, that's the thing, um. We think we found her, but you're not gonna like it," Barret said.

"What's up?" Cloud asked.

"Well, after you left, we saw Hojo walk by into the lab area of this floor. He started talking about using 'the specimen' in the floor upstairs. Tifa thought that might be Aeris. She's covering the point and told me to come get you," Barret explained.

"And why didn't you stay?" Cloud asked.

"Well… she's hiding in one of those damned vents again," Barret sighed.

Cloud smiled and ran down the hall towards Tifa's position.


	10. Chapter 9: Shinra

Chapter IX- Shinra

The laboratory portion of this floor took up almost the entire eastern wing. It was a true testament to how much Shinra's presence in any pasttime could give it a nefarious glow. The steel walls had monitors built in, which were measuring the vital signs of a wolf-like creature in a large containment tube that stood above the rest of this area.

It had bright orange fur with a thick red mane. Tattoos and tribal signs were etched all over its body, the most notably being a deep black tattoo with the number XIII on it. It had one wild eye, it's left, which glared at Tifa with suspicious and rage. It's right eye had a deep scar, which looked fresh.

"This poor creature," Tifa sighed.

"Maybe that was the specimen that Hojo was talking about," Cloud observed.

Tifa jumped down from the observation deck. "I don't think so. While you two were gone he walked by and started talking to this guy here, but he also mentioned 'the other one'."

"Let's check out this area first before we head up," Cloud ordered.

Tifa walked over towards the tube again, and Barret went ahead to check out the rest of the area. Tifa began to fiddle with some controls, in an attempt to open the tube. Cloud, in the meantime, looked around the area where Tifa hid. There was a large containment area which was sealed off in thick steel, concrete and, as Cloud unwittingly found out, an electric forcefield.

"Damn it," Cloud cursed loudly as the electric shock knocked him back.

Tifa and Barret came running to his aid, but he didn't see them. His attention had shifted back to the source of his current pain, and his eyes became fixed on a placard above the door.

It read: JENOVA.

"JENOVA?" Cloud wondered.

"Cloud are you okay?" Cried Tifa.

"How in the world could they have brought it from Nibelheim?" Cloud gasped. His eyes were now fixed on a viewing portal that seemed to materialize from out of nowhere, as a metal blind was raised. He had the exasperated gaze of a man staring into the abyss of hell from whence sprung the source of his torment.

"Yo, spikey! How you doing?" Barret asked, lifting him up.

"That's... JENOVA. Why in the world would they bring it here?" Cloud asked.

Barret had heard enough. He had to bring his friend back down or else things were gonna get ugly. "Calm down, man. Pull yourself together, we still got a job to do."

Cloud nodded. "You're right. Aeris is probably upstairs. Let's move out."

The 68th floor was almost identical to the 67th, except the containment tube in this area was signifigantly larger. A large hole in the center of it indicated that the one below it could be used as a dumbwaiter for specimens. Cloud rushed up as he noticed Aeris, lying against the side of it.

"Aeris!" Cloud shouted, his instinct for stealth suddenly flung to the four winds.

"Stop them!" Shouted a raspy voice. Cloud looked up at the observation deck and saw Hojo standing in front of a control panel.

Suddenly an entire squad of soldiers lined up in front of the three trespassers. Barret glanced behind him and saw another squad behind them.

"Well, this is familiar," he cursed.

"Did you really think you would succeed?" Hojo asked. "When these squads were sent up to the Detention Floor and saw five knocked out SOLDIER members, did you expect them to just sit and wait?"

Cloud, Tifa and Barret huddled close together glancing around at their foes.

"How many can you take spikey?" Barret whispered.

"Probably seven or eight at the most. You?" Cloud asked.

"I can take down this whole side with my gunarm. With Tifa's help of course," Barret smiled.

"Yeah, I could probably do the same without your help," Tifa winked.

Suddenly the three broke rank and attacked the soldiers. Cloud cut through the first squad's unit commander with his blade, sent a flying right kick to the next in line and blocked two swords with his. Tifa grabbed two soldiers and threw them across the room. One hit his head on the elevator door and was knocked out cold, the other was not so fortunate as he hit the corner of a lab table, leaving a bloody gash along the back of his neck.

Barret opened fire and laughed as the Shinra rifle bullets whizzed past him. Loud explosions rang through the area as bullets collided with steel, smoke filled up the hallway and the electric hissing of the specimen containment tube's energy shield grew louder with each passing second. Finally, the smoke cleared and the soldiers all lay around the tube either unconcious or dead.

"Well, this is quite a scene," Hojo smiled. He pressed a button on the control panel and a loud whirring noise echoed from the floor beneath them. The hatch in the containment tube opened and the wolf-beast from the tube below rose in the elevator, his tailed raised in attack position. Aeris' eyes opened and suddenly she froze. She tried to get up, but her sweaty palms kept sliding against the glass.

"What are you doing?" Cloud shouted.

"Saving them," Hojo laughed. "They both belong to species which are nearing extinction."

"You're sick! Aeris is a human!" Tifa shouted.

"Barret, take down that shield!" Cloud ordered.

"You got it! Yo, get your head down in there!" Barret shouted.

Aeris ducked down and covered her head, and the beast seemed follow her movements, doing the same. Barret fired wildly at the tube, unloading round after round, the electric hizzing grew loud and a bright white light exploded as the shield and tube shattered.

"What are you doing?!" Hojo shouted.

The light faded away, and a streak of red shot up to the observation deck, tackling Hojo to the ground. Hojo's head hit the wall and he was knocked unconcious. The beast growled louly and then jumped back down to the ground floor where Cloud and the others were staring in amazement. The beast bowed in front of Aeris.

"I apologize for earlier. It was necessary to fool Hojo," the beast explained.

"It can talk?" Tifa asked.

The beast seemed offended by this remark. "I'll talk all you want later, miss."

"Um," Cloud seemed confused. It wasn't every day one ran into a talking wolf. "I'm sorry about all this. Do you have a name?"

The beast nodded. "Hojo has called me Red XIII, but it is a name that has absolutely no meaning to me. You can call me whatever you wish. I take it you have a plan to escape here?"

"Well yeah, sort of," Cloud replied. It was the truth, except in his plan he was escaping with one hostage, not two.

"Very well then. It would be foolhardy to move as a mass, we're sure to be noticed," Red pointed out.

"You kinda run that risk either way wolfy," came a voice from behind them.

Cloud turned to the elevator to see Reno and Rude walking in with a squad of SOLDIER members. These guys weren't pushovers either; all second and first class. Tseng walked in from the other direction with two Airbuster units.

"It must have been pretty exciting for you, did you have fun?" Tseng mocked.

The 70th Floor of the Shinra Building was the Office of the President. It was a massive open room with a wide window facing out onto sections 3 through 7 of Midgar. A massive pile of rubble stood now where once Sector 7's plate lay. Shinra stood at his desk, looking at the captured members of AVALANCHE and their two new comrades. Reno, Rude and Tseng escorted the handcuffed teammates.

"I must admit I am impressed with your ability to both evade and take down my soldiers," Shinra chuckled. "You were a member of SOLDIER, though, so I guess that's to be expected."

"What do you want with Aeris?" Cloud asked.

Shinra nodded. "Well it seems hardly necessary to say this now, but you must know that Aeris is not like the rest of you."

"She's an Ancient, what of it?" Tifa demanded.

Aeris bowed her head away from the rest as if she was embarassed. Shinra chuckled and walked around to the front of the desk.

"The Ancients, also known as the Cetra, were the forerunners of our society. They traveled long and hard trying to find a Promised Land," Shinra began.

"We've all heard the legend," Red grunted. "Get to the point."

Reno smashed Red's tail with his foot. Red hissed and then sat down lower.

"It's not a legend," Shinra said. "The Promised Land really does exist. We're hoping that Aeris will lead us to it."

"Why?" Cloud asked.

"According to the legend, the Promised Land is a land that is fertile with life and knowledge. And if the land is fertile," Shinra cajoled.

"Then there's gotta be Mako," Barret sighed. "You're goin' through all this just to earn a little more money?"

"Well, Midgar is getting a little old. We're planning on building a new city, Neo-Midgar on the Promised Land. After all, this old city is just falling apart," Shinra's grin sent Barret berserk. He back-kicked Rude, sending him flying back against a podium. He rushed up to Shinra and was about to tackle him, when Tseng jump-kicked him from behind, knocking him to the floor.

"You're lucky Shinra wants you alive," Tseng said. "Or you'd have a hole the size of my fist in your head."

"Take them away," Shinra laughed.

The Shinra Detention Area was exactly as Cloud had remembered it from his excursion there not an hour ago. The only difference was that he was viewing the doors from the opposite side. He shared a center cell with Tifa. He last saw Aeris being put in a solitary confinement cell next to theirs and Barret and Red being led to one just past theirs.

For a cell, the conditions weren't too bad. There was a monitor in each cell which was tuned into the Shinra Tower's own channel. Apparently the idea was the brainwash the prisoners with the same nonsense media that the citizens of Midgar ate up. There was only one bed, but Cloud didn't mind sleeping on the floor. Each cell was also outfitted with a dumbwaiter so that the doors never had to open. Cloud actually thought that, if escape was inevitable, this wouldn't be too bad a place to spend the rest of his days. Of course, he wasn't planning on sticking around.

One nice feature that Cloud noticed, was that pipes that led between the cells (perhaps to make their execution by gas more efficient when it happened), could be used as communication methods between the cells. He whispered into the pipe that led to Aeris's cell.

"Aeris. Are you okay?" Cloud asked.

"I'm doing just fine Cloud," came a sigh. "You worry about me too much you know that. If you hadn't sent me away from the fight I wouldn't have gotten captured in the first place and now because you guys try to save me you got captured yourself."

Cloud chuckled at Aeris's playful scorn. He had to believe it was a joke, because she was probably right.

"Aeris," began Tifa. "What was all that stuff about the Promised Land?"

Aeris sighed. "I don't really know. Ever since I was a kid, my mother... that is my real mother, told me all about a place that I would find. She told me that you wouldn't know it until you were there. That you would just get this feeling that this is the Promised Land, you know? Like this was the only place in the world that you ever wanted to be."

Cloud scratched his head. "That's a little complex for me."

Aeris laughed. "Yeah. I know what you mean."

Cloud closed his eyes. "Good night Aeris."

"Night, Cloud," Aeris replied.

Cloud awoke to the smell of blood. He heard a loud crash off in the distance, probably from the floor above. This was followed by a loud scream and several gunshots. His head turned to the door, which had been opened. The body of a SOLDIER lay in front of it, his uniform torn and his body ripped cleanly in half. His left hand held onto the key in the door, but his arm was nowhere near it.

"Tifa, get up!" Cloud shouted.

Tifa's eyes slowly raised. "What is it?"

"Something's happened, come on, get up!" Cloud explained.

Tifa glanced over at the door and gasped. She covered her mouth in horror and looked away. Cloud glanced out the door in both directions. Whatever had happened here, it seemed the coast was clear now. Cloud looked back at the Shinra monitor but he only saw a red glow as the screen said: EMERGENCY.

Cloud walked down to the locker where the party's weapons were stored. The hinge was broken and the second Cloud tried to open it, the door fell on him. Cloud pushed it off to the side and saw it land next to the body of another SOLDIER. By the look of the incision, he hadn't even seen his attacker before the blade was in his back.

Cloud grabbed his sword from the locker and placed it over his back. He then put the rounds for Barret's gunarm in his pocket (additionally pocketing two more rounds of submachine gun ammunition) and took Aeris's staff. He then lifted the cell door key from the guard who lay before him. He opened Aeris's cell and dropped her rod to the floor. Aeris awoke from the loud noise it made.

"What's going on?" Aeris asked.

"We've got trouble," Cloud said. "Get your staff and get ready to go. We're leaving."

Cloud then walked out and opened the door to the cell where Barret and Red were waiting. Red was already awake, but Barret was snoring loudly.

"What's going on?" Red asked.

"I'm not sure, but something bad just happened to Shinra and it's our ticket out," Cloud explained.

"You really don't know?" Red asked.

Cloud stood firm, but avoided direct eye contact. "I have a hunch, but I won't know anything until I see something."

"Very well then. Human!" Red shouted. Barret stumbled awake.

"What in the world?" Barret cursed. "What's goin' on?"

"Take your ammo and follow me," Cloud said, tossing Barret his clips. Cloud walked back out and saw Tifa picking up the submachine gun from the SOLDIER's corpse. He tossed her the extra clips he had procured from the locker. "You'll need these."

"Okay, which way are we heading?" Tifa asked.

"The elevators are all out of comission, and I don't feel comfortable with heading down 67 floors with some emergency going on," Cloud said. "We're going to head up to the helipad on the 70th floor and borrow a helicopter."

AVALANCHE made their way down the hallway. Red took the lead, insisting that his nose would allow them to avoid any trouble. At this point, Cloud was willing to trust him. They walked past the containment tube that had held JENOVA. It was burst open, and a trail of blood and sinew led up.

"The hell?" Barret cursed. "That thing broke out?"

"I don't think it broke out," Cloud said, his hands trembling. "Somebody released it. We have to move."

The party ran up the stairs to the 69th floor. This was the main executive floor, and it was littered in corpses. The two SIA's that Barret had seen earlier lay next to each other in a bloody heap, an entire squad of soldiers lay in formation as though the attacker had taken only a second to slay all of them. Cloud heard shouts from below them. He recognized the voice of Reno and Tseng, shouting orders at soldiers.

"About time those idiots showed up. But it's probably too late anyways," Cloud cursed. "We have to keep moving."

They headed into a sealed off area which was one large office combined with twin spiral staircases. A placard above the door read: The Office of the President. Cloud saw two assistants at two separate desks laying in a heap. There was a third, shuddering, hiding underneath her desk. She had short blonde hair and was wearing a white jacket and skirt.

"What happened here?" Cloud asked.

"Stay away!" She shrieked.

Cloud looked at her jacket. There was a golden sphere emblem on the right lapel. She was an SIA Agent; a Turk in training.

"What happened here! Answer me, damn it!" Cloud shouted.

She pulled out her gun and aimed it at Cloud's head. She stood up and faced Cloud. "If you bastards hadn't shown up... it's all your fault!" There were tears in her eyes.

Cloud grabbed the gun out of her hand and pointed it back at her. "Get a hold of yourself."

The woman put her hands on the back of her head and closed her eyes, expecting the shot. Cloud unloaded the clip into the cieling. The agent opened her eyes and looked at Cloud.

"You're not cut out to be a Turk. Give it up," he said. "You'd better get out of here before that thing comes back."

She glared at Cloud for a second and then ran out the door.

The Office of the President on the 70th Floor was now covered in blood. The President lay hunched over his desk, with a massive blade protruding from his back.

"This can't be..." Cloud cursed, holding his head with his hands.

"Shinra is dead," Barret said. "I don't know exactly what did it, but the deed is done."

Suddenly, Palmer jumped out from behind one of the pillars that supported the massive window. He ran towards the stairs, but Cloud caught him.

"What happened?" He asked as calmly as he could manage.

Palmer was sweating profusely, and looked like a large fish gasping for air. "Sephiroth was here. He said something about not letting Shinra have the Promised Land and then he... he killed the President!" Palmer began to sob loudly. Cloud let him go and he ran for the exit to the helipad on the right side of the office.

"So this Sephiroth is a good guy, huh?" Barret asked.

"No, you don't understand the whole story," Cloud said. "Barret, get Aeris and Tifa out of here."

"Out of the building?" Barret asked.

"No, out of Midgar. We need to get out of Shinra's reach. Take them downstairs. Obviously the helipad option is out now. You'll have to take the elevator to the first floor. When you get there run as fast as you can. Get out of the city," Cloud said.

Suddenly they heard a helicopter outside. They looked out the window to the helipad and saw a man in a white suit jump out. He had short blonde hair and was carrying a shotgun in his hands.

"Who's that? A member of SOLDIER?" Aeris asked.

"That's Rufus Shinra. The VP and son of Shinra," Barret said. "Damn it! I forgot about him."

Rufus walked into the office from the helipad and looked at the corpse of his father. His reaction was nothing more than mild surprise, as though he'd seen a fight break out in a crowded street corner.

"So it's true. The old man is dead," Rufus smiled. "That would make me the president of Shinra."

"You're only president cause your old man died!" Barret shouted.

Rufus shrugged it off. "Poor Dad. He tried to rule the world using money. It was a nice idea. Work at Shinra, get your pay, and if terrorists," he shot a glance Barret's way, "attack then the Shinra Army will help you out. But my reign will be much simpler. I'll control the world with fear."

"Look at that. The little boy likes to make speeches, just like his dad," Tifa mocked.

Rufus chuckled. "Aren't you amusing? This is a nice group of would-be heroes. An Ex-SOLDIER, a flower girl from the slums, a martial artist tomboy, a beast from Cosmo Canyon, and leading them would be the woefully misgudied father of a four-year old girl."

"You leave Marlene out of this," Barret ordered, raising his gunarm.

"Please. Unlike my dad, I wouldn't dream of hurting a child. I'll just ignore her, like her dad," Rufus grinned.

Cloud had heard enough and raised his sword. "Barret. Get them out. Red, please go with him."

Red nodded and lead the group down the stairs. Cloud now faced off against Rufus. Rufus applauded lightly. "I admire your willingness to sacrifice yourself for your teammates. You were once a member of SOLDIER. Couldn't you just forsake your little environmental streak and help me build a better Shinra?"

"Sorry. I can't let you or Sephiroth have the Promised Land," Cloud replied sternly.

Rufus sighed and raised his shotgun. "Pity. Then it seems we can't be friends."

Rufus fired a round at Cloud. Most of the shrapnel was blocked by his sword, but small shards hit Cloud in the leg and one got him just above the eye. Cloud ran at Rufus with his sword, but Rufus jumped back shot out the window and leapt out of the tower. Cloud ran over to the window, and saw Rufus catch onto a helicopter grappling hook. In the helicopter was Reno who began to fire at Cloud using the twin-mounted gatling guns. Cloud leapt behind Shinra's desk as the bullets traced his movements. The helicopter rose above them and Cloud ran downstairs to catch up with the others.

It had been one of the most tense elevator rides of Barret's life. As the numbers went down he was hoping that he would not be stopped by Shinra soldiers or whatever the hell had torn apart all those people. He did run into a mechanical menance of Shinra's which he made short work of, but other than that it was an uneventful ride by comparison to the rest of the tower raid.

They arrived on the first floor and were about to head out the front door when they saw an entire batallion of Shinra soldiers on the outside of the building.

"Damn it! I can't take on that many!" Barret cursed.

Suddenly he heard the sound of a motorcycle's engine coming from the stairwell behind him. Cloud appeared, riding one of the Shinra army's bikes. "Barret, over here!" He shouted pointing at a truck which had been brought in. "Borrow this!"

Tifa jumped in the drivers seat and Aeris took shotgun. Barret and Red sat in the back.

"So where we heading. Out through them?" Tifa asked.

"Nope. We're heading out the thrid floor window. It's a 50 meter drop from there to the main highway out of town," Cloud said. "Follow my lead!"

The two vehicles crashed out of the window and onto the street. Tifa kept up with Cloud as best as she could, but Cloud often found himself having to slow down the pace a bit to stick with her. Two other bikers came up behind Cloud. He smashed one off their bike with his sword and the other one started to pull back, but Barret took care of him with his gunarm. A few more bikers came by, but they weren't a real threat to Cloud. What he was concerned with was the massive rolling tank that was following behind them.

Cloud cut down another biker, and Barret took care of two others when suddenly bullets flew past Cloud and nearly hit the truck. It was Reno's helicopter trailing them from above. Cloud had to think quick. They were not going to outrun gatling gun bullets from a helicopter. Suddenly, the tank opened fire as well, launching a rocket towards the truck. Cloud sped up and got the missile to lock on to him. He then grabbed hold of a low passing bar, clutching the motorcycle with his legs. He spun around the bar letting go of the bike when he reached the top of his spin. The motorcycle smashed through the helicopter, which erupted in a massive explosion. Cloud saw Reno ejecting just a moment before the tank erupted. He landed a few yards away in a bloody heap. The helicopter landed in front of the tank, blocking its path. That's when the missile found its target, erupting all three machines in a massive fireball. Tifa turned back and picked up Cloud and they made their way to the end of the highway.

"No wonder you were in SOLDIER," Barret laughed.

The party rested underneath a small section of plate, just outside the city limits. Aeris treated Cloud's gunshot wounds and he began to speak.

"I'm going after Sephiroth. I don't expect any of you to come with me if you don't want to," Cloud said suddenly.

Aeris laughed. "You don't want us to get in any danger, huh? Well it'd be more dangerous to head back into Midgar and we can't exactly part our separate ways, now can we?"

"You say this Sephiroth is bad news, so we're going after him," Barret said.

Tifa walked up to Cloud. "I'm coming with you too, and that's final."

Cloud understood why Tifa would want to come. He was well aware that Sephiroth was an important influence in her life as well.

They looked at Red, their new comrade, with anticipation.

"I don't know what use I will be in your search, but I will travel with you until we reach my hometown as appreciation for rescuing me," Red nodded.

"Right. Well I guess this is goodbye to Midgar for a little while," Tifa sighed.

"Okay. Let's split up. Aeris and Red will come with me," Cloud said. "Tifa and Barret you two can handle yourselves right?"

Tifa smiled and nodded. "You bet. Where we meeting up at?"

"There's a dell a short distance northeast of here called Kalm Town. We'll meet there." Cloud ordered.


	11. Chapter 10: Sephiroth

Chapter X: Sephiroth

The infrastructure of the valley near Midgar was desolate. The Mako Reactors had sapped all the life out of the ground nearby, resulting in barren fields and dry cliffs. The ocean in the distance was the only color in this land. Cloud hiked alongside Aeris, the woman he was supposed to be guarding with his life but whom he had twice failed to protect. With them was their new companion Red XIII, a beast that Hojo had been performing cruel experiments on.

Cloud thought carefully about the events that had led him to this point in his life. He had begun simply trying to earn money by helping the terrorist group AVALANCHE. The mercenary life proved dangerous when on his second mission he was attacked by a Shinra Mechanical Soldier named Airbuster and fell through the plate into the slums below. Had it not been for the woman walking on his right side, he would probably have died.

Then, he agrees to be her bodyguard (mostly out of a sense of duty) and finds out about a plan to destroy Sector 7. Another failure on his mind; on the minds of everyone. He wondered how Barret must be feeling at this point. Rather, he knew how Barret must be feeling. Weak, useless, and incapable: the ultimate fear of a leader. That must be why Barret so readily handed over control of the group to him.

Not that Cloud was any more qualified for the job. He had his share of failures. Cloud's thought process was interrupted by the sound of people in the distance. He looked up and saw the village of Kalm, the parties rendezvous point.

"You think Barret and Tifa made it there okay?" Aeris asked.

"Only one way to find out," Cloud replied.

The village of Kalm was protected by a castle wall, remnants of days gone by, that surrounded the city on all four sides. As villages went it was fairly small. A few main circles separated the residential buildings and one large central area, the Town Square, was the main commercial area. This is where Cloud saw Tifa and Barret.

"Hey, we were getting worried!" Tifa waved.

"You guys beat us here, huh?" Cloud asked.

"Yep, that means you're paying for the room, spikey," Barret laughed, patting him on the back.

The inn was what you'd expect from a small town. There was a fireplace over in the distance and a small registration desk sat beside the main stairwell leading to the rooms. Barret had already reserved the room, and Cloud handed over the 50 gil to the woman behind the desk. They went up the stairs and saw that the rooms were in fact one. The upstairs was one massive room with four beds and a small gas stove in the center of the rear wall.

"Nice place you got us," Cloud nodded.

"So, uh, Cloud," Aeris began. "Who exactly is Sephiroth?"

The other four turned to Aeris; gazing at her queerly.

"You don't know?" Tifa asked.

"I mean I never met the guy, but I've heard of him," Barret continued.

"The greatest SOLDIER to ever live?" Red concluded.

"I've never heard of him. The name does ring a bell, but..." Aeris bowed her head in shame, as if this was a heinous crime.

"I guess I should explain to all of you then," Cloud said. "You deserve to know what you're up against."

And so Cloud began his tale...

-----

The Shinra military truck rolled down the plains in the middle of a heavy rainstorm. The driver was Warrant Officer Andrew Benson, and the crew was four men: two SOLDIER and two support staff. The nature of this mission was classified as "Confidential", even though the actions took to complete it would be made public.

Cloud Strife, SOLDIER 1st Class, was standing in the back of the truck, doing squat thrusts to help combat motion sickness. He stopped for a moment to catch his breath and then patted one of the support staff on the back.

"Hey. You doing alright?" Cloud asked.

The soldier shook his head and rolled over to one side, puking into a bag.

"You shouldn't be sitting. You gotta keep moving," Cloud said. He stood up and walked over to the other SOLDIER. He had long white hair that draped down his back. Unlike the other members of SOLDIER, his uniform was pitch black with silver shoulder guards. He also wore a trench coat over his uniform that kept his arms concealed. On his back was his unique weapon, the mark of an excellent SOLDIER. It was unlike any other sword Cloud had ever seen. Forged in the mountain caverns near Wutai out of a metal that made titanium look like bronze; this sword was called the Masamune and classified as a Katana.

"So, Sephiroth, you looking forward to the mission?" Cloud asked.

Sephiroth chuckled. "You're like a rookie, fresh on his first mission. You should relax."

Cloud nodded. "Sorry. I just got some new materia today. I'm looking forward to using it."

"Materia does not make the soldier, though," Sephiroth warned. "Don't forget that."

"Right," Cloud nodded. "But then, you've mastered all the materia you've been issued."

Sephiroth seemed upset by this personal inquiry and changed the subject. "Shouldn't you be asking me about the mission?"

"Sorry. What are the specifics?" Cloud asked.

Sephiroth leaned back and forced himself to stand. He braced himself against the wall. "The nature of this mission is monster extermination. The official story is that the monsters have been breeding irregularly and are causing an abundance. The true story is that this is likely the cause of the Mako Reactor on Mt. Nibel. Now I don't need to tell you that information is confidential and that discretion, above all else, is what Shinra values."

"So we're going to basically be killing a bunch of monsters, huh? Sounds easy enough," Cloud chuckled.

"That's just one aspect of it. We are also going to go into the Mako Reactor and find out what's causing it to malfunction," Sephiroth said. "If it's something we can fix, we're to fix it. If not... well then we have these two call in for a maintenance squad."

Suddenly the Warrant Officer screamed. "Brace yourselves!"

The truck shook fiercely and Cloud and Sephiroth were slammed to the floor.

"What the hell was that?!" Cloud shouted.

"That would be our monster," Sephiroth said rising.

The two SOLDIERs leapt out of the truck and faced off against the monster.

-------

The town of Nibelheim was as small as they come, just a few houses laid into the foundation of the rock around them and one massive mansion towards the back of town. A place known as the Shinra Manor, this mansion was once the home of the President before Midgar was built. The Nibel Reactor was also the very first Mako Reactor ever built, a prototype for the rest.

Sephiroth turned to Cloud. "Say, isn't this your hometown?"

Cloud nodded.

"Well we have some time before the mission starts. You can spend some time with your family, but meet us back at the hotel before sundown," Sephiroth ordered.

"So... Sephiroth. What about your family?" Cloud asked.

Sephiroth again seemed uncomfortable, but reluctantly responded. "Well... my mother's name was Jenova. And my father..."

Sephiroth suddenly began to laugh. "What does it matter? Come on I've got a mission to focus on."

-------

Cloud's house was small, but comfortable. A curtain made of sheets separated his "room" from the rest of the house which was essentially one large room. Cloud pulled the sheets back on the line and laid down on his bed. His mother walked over to him.

"Cloud, it's so good to see you home again," she smiled.

-------

Cloud stopped his story.

"What's wrong Cloud?" Tifa asked.

Cloud shook his head. "I don't want to... it's not important to the story..."

------

The next morning, Cloud, Sephiroth and the two soldiers lined up at the towns northern exit: the path through Mt. Nibel. A man with a camera was taking several pictures for the town bulletin. Sephiroth was dealing with a man who seemed to be raising some kind of a commotion.

"She's just a child, why do you SOLDIER boys need her help anyways?" The man cursed.

"We don't know the terrain that well. Besides we heard that your daughter was the best guide and outdoorsmen in the village," Sephiroth explained.

The man sighed. "You'd better take damn good care of my little girl, son."

The young woman with brown hair wearing mountain gear walked up. "I'll be with two members of SOLDIER, Daddy. It'll be okay."

Cloud looked over at the woman he recognized as his old friend, Tifa.

"Tifa!" Cloud called.

Tifa looked over at Cloud and her smile grew even brighter. She ran up and hugged him.

-------

Cloud stopped again.

"What is it?" Aeris asked.

"Nothing. It's weird, but I can't really remember much of that morning up until..." Cloud pondered.

Tifa put her hand on Cloud's shoulder. "The photograph?"

Cloud snapped his fingers. "That's it."

------

"Hey excuse me, sirs and miss. Do you mind if I get you three in a snapshot?" The photographer asked politely.

Tifa laughed and stood next to Cloud. Cloud turned his head slightly to the side. He was representing all of SOLDIER and he couldn't be taking cute pictures with his friend. Sephiroth sighed, rolled his eyes and walked into the picture as well. He stared directly at the photographer with an amused grin.

"Okay. Three, two, one!" The sound of the camera clicking, mixed with the lights flashing cut off the last of the photographer's words as he excitedly congratulated himself on another excellent picture.

-------

Mt. Nibel was a misnomer as the range actually consisted of several smaller mountains. Back in the days before Nibelheim was founded each had a unique name. Some of the old folks still call them by their names. The party passed underneath a small cliff waterfall that lead to a mountainside lake. This was Mt. Daggercrag. Beyond the lake was the slow and steady uphill march through small patches of trees. This was Mt. Aeon. When they finally did reach Mt. Nibel they were well above the Timber-Line and found that it was barren with a stench of decaying machinery. All around them were other mountains that seemed just as lifeless; it gave the illusion of walking through a burial ground as wisps of fog clung to the rock as persistent as an ill-tempered poltergeist.

To proceed to the reactor, they had to cross a rope bridge which made Cloud highly uncomfortable. The bridge looked like it wouldn't support much weight to begin with and the fact that some of the support lines had been cut or unhooked by monster activity didn't boost his confidence any.

"We have to cross this bridge, right?" Cloud asked.

Sephiroth laughed. "What's the matter Cloud? Scared of heights?"

Cloud smirked and proceed to arrogantly walk out into the center of the bridge. "Well come on, we don't have all day."

Tifa came on next, but Cloud could see in her eyes that she had the same fear. Sephiroth was next, and the two soldiers cautiously set foot, holding onto the cables with a death grip.

"Are you sure this bridge will hold?" Sephiroth asked Tifa.

"It's survived hundreds of trips," Tifa explained.

"Yeah, well there is always that last one," Cloud noted.

"Come on, what are the odds of that happening?" Sephiroth asked.

Suddenly, the cord on the left side broke. Cloud grabbed onto the right side wire and caught Tifa's hand just as she was about to go over the edge. Sephiroth had one arm hanging onto the support wire and the other was helping one of the soldiers. He shouted to one who was closer to the other side of the bridge.

"Can you make it back up there?" Sephiroth asked.

"I think so. If I dash I can probably make it," the soldier replied.

"No! Move slowly. Any more pressure on this bridge and this mission will have an unsatisfactory conclusion," Sephiroth ordered.

"Followed by a rocky death. I'd move slowly if I were you!" Cloud shouted.

The soldier crept up to the other side. He felt one of the boards whine under his pressure and he scampered the last few feet. He stood up on the rocky surface and cheered.

"Man, that was exciting. So, do you want me to go get some help or try to reel you guys in?" The soldier asked.

There was a loud roar behind him. Cloud heard a ripping sound and saw the soldier's eyes go red with blood. He didn't even have time to scream. He fell to the ground and Cloud saw a hideous monster with dark purple skin and black eyes. It had spikes down its back and strangest of all was that pieces of clothing seemed to be seared into its flesh. It raised its head in the air and began to sniff with a horrible horn-like nose. It then turned and looked directly at Sephiroth.

Under normal circumstances, Sephiroth could probably have taken this opponent, but his mission right now was also the safety of his soldiers and Tifa.

"Brace yourselves," Sephiroth ordered. The monster charged across the bridge, almost losing its footing several times. Sephiroth put the soldier he held next to him on the bridge and pulled out his sword. "Hang on tight!" And with that, he cut the bridge in half. The monster plummeted down to its death and the bridge part they were on landed near a small patch of ground on this mountain.

------

A few hours later, Cloud awoke. Sephiroth had busy at work keeping an eye out for monsters and patching up their wounds.

"Sephiroth," Cloud called.

Sephiroth turned back. "Cloud. Are you okay?"

Cloud nodded. "Damn, that was a hell of a fall," Cloud bowed his head. "That poor guy."

"We don't have much more time to waste around here. Conditions are already worse than I thought. We need to wake up these two and get a move on. I don't want to be stuck here come nightfall.

-------

The reactor was the most desolate place in this entire region. One could argue that it was a result of the reactor's presence, but only if they did not know what the old timers had called this particular mountain before: Mt. Harbinger. It had the looked of a winged spectral statue with the jagged rocks along the edges stretching out, as though there were a thousand souls trapped within desperately trying to escape.

Sephiroth turned to Tifa. "I thank you for your assistance, but authorized personnel only beyond this point."

"What?" Tifa asked, indignantly.

"This place is full of Shinra's secrets," Sephiroth said, as if to himself. Sephiroth gestured to the remaining soldier and he stood in front of the stairwell.

Cloud and Sephiroth walked up the stairs. Cloud chuckled as he heard Tifa boss the guard around: "You'd better take good care of me then."

-------

The interior of the reactor wasn't anything too special. Most Shinra employees had all seen the inside of one. And yet the pump room was laid out completely different. Maybe because it had been a prototype. Three stacked shelves of coolant "bubbles"-as they were cheerfully described by the tech guys- were aligned around one main stairwell leading up to a large door. The door had a plate reading JENOVA.

"They take to naming these reactors back in the day?" Cloud asked.

"I don't think so," Sephiroth said. He seemed distracted by the name. Cloud suddenly made the connection.

"Hey. Didn't you say your mother's name was Jenova?" Cloud asked.

Sephiroth turned away. It was always the same reaction whenever Cloud asked a personal question. It was a shame. They had been war-buddies. Sephiroth outranked Cloud, of course, but still they had been as close as two comrades could get. And yet while Sephiroth knew a great deal about Cloud, Cloud knew next to nothing about him.

"Here's the problem," Sephiroth said, noticing a leaking pipe. "Somebody messed with this valve. It's been leaking condensed Mako everywhere. A couple of monsters get in, take a sip and bam! Instant monster growth spurt."

"So we fix that and then eradicate the remaining monsters in this region?" Cloud asked.

"Yeah," Sephiroth replied. He glanced into the coolant bubble next to the leaking pipe. His face went pale instantly and he began to tremble uncontrollably. "I see, Hojo. Impressive. But even this won't make you a better scientist than Dr. Gast."

"What's wrong, Sephiroth?" Cloud asked.

"See for yourself," Sephiroth instructed.

Cloud went up to the coolant bubble and glanced through the small viewing portal. Resting inside was the same monster that had attacked the soldier on the bridge.

"What in the world is this?" Cloud asked. "Is Shinra breeding these monsters?"

"No, this is the work of Hojo. Normal members of SOLDIER, like you, are only given a basic course of Mako. Dipped in the fountain if you will," Sephiroth said.

"What do you mean 'like me'?" Cloud asked.

Sephiroth completely ignored him as he continued. "Was I…" He began to slash at the dome. "Was I created this way too?!"

----

Cloud didn't have any idea what Sephiroth was talking about. He was just an ordinary member of SOLDIER just like anybody else. When they returned to Nibelheim, Sephiroth spent day and night in the library of the Shinra Mansion. Day in and day out he would read and read. Not once did the light in the basement go out.

A few days passed and Cloud went to see Sephiroth. He walked down the stairs and heard Sephiroth laughing manically. The library was something else. Every book, it seemed had been taken off the shelf by Sephiroth and organized into piles. Had he possibly read all of these in just a few days?

"There's the traitor," Sephiroth said to Cloud as he walked in.

"Traitor?" Cloud asked.

"Don't feel bad Cloud. It's not just you. It's all of you. Everyone in the whole world. You're all traitors," Sephiroth's voice was distant, cold, mad. This was not the Sephiroth that Cloud knew.

"What's going on? What are you talking about?" Cloud asked.

"You ignorant fool. My mother, JENOVA, was supposed to be the ruler of all things. She was the greatest Ancient that ever lived. And I am of her bloodline. That makes me the last surviving Ancient. But your ancestors, with their weakness. They hunted down all of us. You carry their curse on your shoulders," Sephiroth stood up and walked out.

"Where are you going?" Cloud asked.

"I'm going to see mother," Sephiroth said.

Suddenly he shot straight up through the ceiling and a massive beam of fire emanated from the spot where he stood. Cloud rushed out of the building and saw his entire town burning to cinders.

Cloud ran to his house, but it was too late. He opened the door to see a pile of wood, stone and ash and out of it was resting the hand of his mother, who had just made it to the door before the building collapsed.

Cloud's eyes welled up with tears and he looked up to see two men be cut down by Sephiroth. He walked away, with the flame rising to hide his presence. But Cloud knew where he was heading. The Reactor on Mt. Nibel.

-----

Cloud rushed inside the reactor and walked across the catwalk. His mind racing with one thought only. He would kill Sephiroth. There was no forgiveness. This was too terrible. He stopped when he saw the body of a man in front of him. Over the weeping body stood Tifa.

"Sephiroth did this to you didn't he?" Tifa cursed. "Sephiroth… SOLDIER… Shinra…Everything! I hate them all!"

Tifa took up the blade that had pierced the mans heart and ran inside. She didn't even see Cloud, it had seemed.

Cloud ran after her and saw her run up the stairs. She ran the massive blade through Sephiroth's back. Sephiroth didn't even seem to notice.

"Child's play," he chuckled. He grabbed the sword by the blade that was protruding through his stomach and pulled the whole blade through. He then turned and slashed Tifa across the chest. She fell down the stairs from the force of the impact, landing against the wall next to Cloud.

Cloud put a bandage over Tifa's chest, but he feared she wouldn't make it. All the more reason for him to press on and finish his job.

----

"Mother, I'm here," Sephiroth said as he walked through the door into a room full of pipes and wires all leading to a large statue of a winged woman.

"What's all this 'mother' nonsense?" Cloud asked coldly.

"With her superior magic and wisdom, mother was destined to be the ruler of this planet," Sephiroth walked over to the statue. "But they, those stupid cowardly traitors are trying to take the planet away from her. No matter. I'm here now."

Sephiroth took his sword and smashed the statue to bits, revealing a woman kept alive in a cryogenic freezing tube. On her head was a helmet with the word "JENOVA".

----

"Then what happened?" Aeris asked.

"Nope, that's it," Cloud replied.

"That's it?" Barret asked. "Wait a minute, how'd you get to Midgar? And what happened to Sephiroth?"

"I don't know. In terms of skill, I couldn't have beat him. It seems like my entire memory of how I got to Midgar has been wiped clean," Cloud replied. "Shinra said that he died, but that's obviously not the case."

"About that," Aeris said. "Sephiroth claimed that he and JENOVA were Ancients?"

"That doesn't make any sense either," Tifa replied. "I thought Aeris was the last one."

"Well it's obvious we know too little at this point, but perhaps following this man may provide the answers you need," Red suggested.

"Right," Cloud replied. "Thank you for listening to my story."


	12. Chapter 11: Chocobo

Chapter XI- Chocobo

Tifa was stroking her hair, and Aeris sat beside her on the bench with a look of confusion. Barret had said that he would get the information about Sephiroth from the nearby tavern. Cloud leaned back against the fountain, Red sat next to him flickering his tail lazily.

"How long is he going to be?" Aeris asked.

"Barret has a very directed method of getting information," Tifa explained. "What it lacks in grace, it more than makes up for efficacy."

Suddenly an explosion from the tavern echoed through the square. The four rose to their feet, Cloud reaching for his sword. Barret backed out of the tavern letting curses fly with the blanks his gunarm was loaded with.

"See if I ever come in there again. I'm a lager man myself, you people are savages!" Barret cursed.

Barret walked next to Tifa.

"You get anything useful?" Tifa asked.

"There's an abandoned mithril mine several dozen miles to the south of here. Problem is the entire area is a boggy swamp land. They had to shut down it down because it became infested with monsters," Barret explained. "It's still the easiest way to get to Junon, though. I don't want to try and cross the mountains. Besides… they mentioned a man with a black cape heading that way."

"Okay then. We'll head for the mithril mine," Cloud instructed.

--

The Midgar mountain range to the west and the Akkan Steppes to the east made for a very narrow passage to the south.

"In ancient days this was believed to be the key strategic defense for the towns that have since become Midgar," Red explained. "The Akkani Pass, they called it."

"You're pretty knowledgeable," Aeris noted.

"It's not me. My grandfather loves world history. He taught me many things about civilizations both ancient and modern," Red replied.

Storm clouds hung overhead and mist began to seep through the pass. A thunderclap echoed to the south and soon the entire pass was enveloped in a fierce rainstorm.

Aeris put her jacket over her head and Tifa put a hand against her forehead to keep the rain out of her eyes. Barret didn't mind the rain, but he wrapped his gunarm in his vest to prevent rust. Cloud and Red didn't seem to mind at all.

"How much further south is it to the bog?" Cloud asked.

"Another day's journey at least," Red noted looking skyward. The light was beginning to wane. It was impossible to tell the suns location through the mist, but they knew it was late afternoon.

"We should look for a cave or rock formation around here to make base camp. Otherwise we'll have to climb up those steppes," Barret said.

Red noted a small area to their south that had several collapsed rocks. "Over there."

The area was completely covered in boulders and rocks. It almost looked like an avalanche, which prompted Barret to say: "I guess it's a sign, huh?"

"How do we know it won't happen again?" Tifa asked.

"We'll try our luck. Besides, Shinra would never look for us here," Cloud explained.

Barret took off the backpack he had been carrying since Kalm town. He had loaded it with many supplies including sleeping bags with plastic coverings.

"Here," he said handing one to Aeris. "It won't help _us_ much, but at least the bags will stay dry."

Cloud set his bag down next to a rock and sat on it like a stool. "I'll take the first shift."

"No way, Cloud. You're too busy leadin'. We need that brain of yours in top shape," Barret chuckled, patting him on the back.

"You're awfully cheery tonight," Cloud observed, laying out his bag.

"What can I say, something about knowing that Shinra is dead just tends to brighten up your day," Barret replied.

"Don't get too excited. It's not over yet," Cloud replied, lying in his bag.

--

The rain stopped just in time for Cloud's shift to begin. It was about 4:30 in the morning if he had to guess. He looked down the valley and up at the steppes and saw that, thankfully, not even mechanized scouts had made it this far. He took a quick look around his camp to make sure that everybody was in their bags (Barret was still rustling in his bag, but he'd be asleep soon).

He sat waiting for nothing in particular. He doubted that Shinra would be able to organize a search party just yet. They'd still be in a state of confusion after yesterday's events. Still, from now on they'd have to be careful. They were fugitives, after all.

He saw something rustling in some bushes a few yards south. Cloud grabbed his sword and approached it slowly.

"Where you goin'?" Barret asked, half-asleep.

"Shh!" Cloud hissed.

Barret was now wide awake, and primed his gunarm in case things got interesting. Cloud moved slowly towards the bush. The bush began to rustle again and suddenly, it sprouted a beak. Cloud jumped back a bit and saw the beak eat one of the bushes fruits. It then made a small weak sound, like "kweh!" and then hid back in the bush.

Cloud chuckled. "Cho-"

Suddenly two large Chocobos burst out from behind the bush. They were being chased by an entire pack of Midgar Fangs. The skirmish awoke the others, who were now reaching for their weapons. The Fangs were large in number, about 10, with one Crimson Fang leading the pack. They gave up the hunt of the Chocobos, seeing more fleshy prey.

"Barret, now would be a good time to start shooting!" Cloud shouted.

"Don't you think I know that?! My damn gun is jammed. Must've been the rain!" Barret replied.

"What do we do now?" Aeris called.

Cloud didn't know. He had just been another guy until a few days ago, and now everyone expected him to be the leader and know just what to do. Magic wouldn't work, because there were too many of them. Weapons wouldn't work, for the same reason.

"Take out the pack leader!" Red shouted.

"What?" Cloud asked.

"Take out the Crimson Fang. Without a leader, the pack will quarrel amongst themselves and vie for dominance," Red instructed.

That was as good a plan as any, and Cloud rushed towards the Crimson Fang. One of the lesser wolves jumped at him, but he pushed it away with the hilt of his sword. He cut another pursuers tail off and finally reached the Crimson Fang. The beast bit Cloud's thigh good and hard, but Cloud paid him back two-fold and delivered the coup de grace through the monsters back. He fell back and saw the rest of the wolves huddle around him. At first, he thought they were going to attack him, but then (as Red predicted) they begin to attack each other. Barret grabbed Cloud and yanked him away from the pack.

"How are you doing?" Barret asked.

"I've been better," Cloud sighed.

"You can say that again. You ain't walking anywhere for at least two days," Barret said. He fixed the jam in his gun and then fired a couple rounds into the air above the wolves. They scattered towards the steppes.

Cloud saw yellow again, as the two Chocobos returned to them. The birds bowed as if they were grazing, but Red instantly understood.

"They're thanking you," Red translated. "They would also like to offer us a ride."

"There's only two of them," Cloud pointed out.

Suddenly two more Chocobos appeared from the south. A third behind them was being ridden by an old man in a farmer's hat.

"That's a lot of Chocobos for this region," Aeris said.

"Must be a farm around here," Tifa replied.

The man was carrying a shotgun and dismounted his bird. He walked up to Red and was ready to pull the trigger until Cloud stopped him.

"I wouldn't do that, Mister," Cloud instructed, politely lifting his sword under the man's barrel.

"My birds told me some wolves being led by a Crimson Fang were tryin' to eat 'em for supper!" The man cursed, putting away his gun. Cloud dropped his sword into his sheath.

"Do I look like a Crimson Fang to you?" Red asked.

The man's disposition changed instantly. "Well, by gum. I can understand animals and all, but I never heard one speak to me in common tongue. I apologize for my judgment."

"And I thank you for your slow aim," Red replied, with a hint of sarcasm.

The farmer turned his attention over to Cloud. "I'm surprised to see you standin' boy. You got half your leg missing."

"I took care of that wolf problem," Cloud said. "It wasn't without its perils."

"Well, there seems to be enough saddles for everybody. Let's head back to the farm, it's only a few miles to the south. You okay to walk beside us?" The farmer asked to Red.

Cloud thought Red would take this as an insult, as if the man was calling Red a lower life form. Red, however, understood that this was meant as a sign of respect for his tribe's endurance and speed and an acknowledgement that no bird would feel safe with a predatory hunter on its back.

"I'll be fine," Red nodded.

The Chocobo Farm was actually quite well-suited for a traveling party, despite its size. The farmer explained that he often helped re-supply his clientele before their return journey. His profession?

"I breed and take care of Chocobos for people all over the world," the farmer explained.

Aeris leaned on the edge of one of the stables. "They're so cute!"

"How can you tell them apart though?" Tifa asked.

The farmer acted as though Tifa had just slapped him in the face. "Tell them apart? Each chocobo is very different. They got unique personalities, and little subtleties in the looks, just like people."

"I can tell them apart quite easily," Red grinned.

Tifa's face turned red and she went outside to look at the free-range chocobos. Cloud took a look at one large chocobo in the farthest stable back. Unlike the usual yellow mane, his mane was jet black and his beak was silver.

"What's with this Chocobo?" Cloud asked.

"Oh that's a special chocobo for a special client," The farmer explained.

_It looks like something Sephiroth would ride_, Cloud thought, looking into the birds dark eyes. "Who's that?"

"He's a racer from the Western Continent. Goes by Jack, though that prolly ain't his real name. That bird there is named Teioh," The farmer continued.

"People race these chocobos?" Barret asked.

"Sure thing, son. Don't tell me you folks haven't ever heard of the Gold Saucer?" The farmer asked.

Cloud had heard of it, but he didn't bother saying anything.

"Half my clients are from there. They got an arcade, chocobo racing, battle arena. It's the best amusement park I've ever seen," The farmer smiled. He pulled a gold ticket out from his pants pocket. "This is a lifetime pass. I never leave home without it. But then I don't leave home that often."

Suddenly Cloud heard Tifa calling from outside. He ran out, followed closely by the others. The field around the farm was covered in wolves.

"Looks like that pack followed us back here," Red noted.

"Damn, there's gotta be over thirty of them!" Barret cursed.

The farmer ran out. "We gotta get the free-range chocobos in the stable!"

"We have to take care of the wolves too," Cloud said.

Suddenly, a familiar streak of yellow appeared next to Cloud. The chocobo nudged Cloud's arm.

"What is it?" Cloud asked, feeling a little foolish talking to a bird.

The chocobo had something in its mouth. A bright red piece of materia shimmered in its beak. The chocobo dropped it into his hand.

"Um… thank you?" Cloud said as he raised the crimson orb.

The orb exploded in light and suddenly the earth began to quake. Cloud looked behind him and saw an entire herd of chocobos running down to meet the wolves. The wolves saw this little display and began to run, yelping as the yellow streaks nipped at them with their beaks and kicked them with their long legs.

"I can't thank you enough for helping me out of that bind," the farmer smiled.

"Well it was your chocobo friend that saved the day, really," Cloud said, handing the farmer the materia.

"Hehe. Chocobos can find anything, you know. And they love the glow of materia orbs. Maybe you should hang onto that. You never know when it might come in handy."

"I appreciate that. We need to get to the mithril mines west of here," Cloud said. "Any advice?"

"Well you better not go on foot. The waters are treacherous, with that damned Midgar Zolom about," the farmer warned.

"Midgar Zolom?" Tifa asked.

"Yeah, the Midgar Zolom. He's a beast in his own right, he is. A giant snake the size of twenty men. And you can't outrun him, not on foot anyways," the farmer continued.

"So how are we going to get across the bog?" Red asked.

The farmer smiled, "Do you really have to ask?"


	13. Chapter 12: Elena

Chapter XII- Elena

"There are going to be changes, gentlemen," Rufus explained as he met with his new staff.

There was the incompetent military authority that his father had placed in charge for reasons that were beyond both his understanding and care. Heidigger stood nervously, awaiting any reaction from Rufus. He knew his days of care-free military spending were over.

There was the weapons specialist, who Rufus was convinced had slept her way to the top. What professional woman dressed in the gaudy manner such as her? Scarlet leaned back in one of the chairs across from the president's desk. She seemed amused by Rufus sitting in his father's chair.

There was the bleeding heart urban specialist. He actually bugged Rufus the least of his staff. He whined a bit, and had some fancy ideals, but he was fairly harmless and didn't really stand-out. Even now, Reeve stood in the back, smoking a cigarette in a futile attempt to calm his nerves.

There was the one person who looked more and more like a homeless man every day. He was large and pathetic and couldn't keep up with the modern day society, but was good for gopher work. Palmer sat in the other chair and was wiping his palms with a handkerchief.

There was the head of the Turks, and the one man who seemed to be able to get things done, though lately he'd been sub-par. Tseng stood at attention, the only one who seemed to give Rufus the respect he deserved. Rufus liked that, but knew he was just being formal up front because it was his job.

And lastly, there was the scientist and office nut-job who paced the floor, no doubt running off calculations in his head well beyond the capacity of those present. Hojo was muttering to himself, as if he was still trying to grasp exactly what had happened a couple days ago.

"You can relax. All of your jobs are safe," Rufus explained. There was a collective sigh of relief from everyone except Scarlet and Hojo. "But as I said, there are going to be some changes. I won't prattle on; I'll save that for my inauguration. First off, I want status reports from everyone."

Scarlet went first, convinced she had the most information to share with the President. "Mr. President, our casualties are great from the incident a few days ago. Our count is almost at the hundred mark. The good news is, this includes those killed by AVALANCHE during their siege of this tower."

"How exactly is that good news?" Rufus asked, derailing Scarlet's train of thought.

"I… I just meant that things could have been much worse. We seemed to make it out okay," Scarlet was again stopped by Rufus.

"Okay?" Rufus stood up and put his hands on the table. "AVALANCHE has escaped with the Ancient, Sephiroth," Rufus glared at Tseng, "a man who was supposed to be dead, killed my father. And what's worse? JENOVA has gone missing. We are not doing 'okay', Scarlet."

"Well.. we,"

"Shut up. I'm tired of your whiny voice. Tseng, what are your Turks up to?" Rufus said.

Scarlet sat down, with a look of shock on her face. She had never gotten the clean dose of reality that she sorely needed and Rufus's words took her down several pegs. Tseng continued cautiously, bracing himself for a similar tongue-lashing.

"Through special operatives, we have been able to trace the exact location of AVALANCHE, but we are still not sure of Sephiroth and JENOVA's location. We do have a good idea of where he will likely head, though," Tseng said.

"Enlighten me," Rufus said with all the excitement of an under-worked secretary.

"Sephiroth will likely head back to where it all started, sir. Are you aware of the Nibelheim Incident five years ago?" Tseng asked.

"I've only heard rumors. Very well, continue your investigation. Don't worry about AVALANCHE for the time being, just catch up with Sephiroth. Take some military aircraft and head for Junon. On your way, I want you to put together a briefing. If I'm going to be president I'll need to know everything," Rufus ordered.

"Yes sir. If I may, I would like to go make an appearance with AVALANCHE, though," Tseng explained.

"For what purpose?" Rufus asked.

"Just to remind them that they can't hide from us," Tseng smirked.

Rufus rubbed his head, but nodded. "That's not a bad idea. Alright. Go and intercept them, but let them be for the time being. We'll pick them up when the time is right."

"Yes sir," Tseng replied. He left and seemed somehow pleased that he had been able to manipulate the president for a personal chore.

--

"How is Reno?" Rude asked Tseng.

"His injuries aren't too bad, considering Sephiroth could have killed him." Tseng explained.

Reno had been speaking with the president when Sephiroth entered. As far as a report from Palmer indicated, Sephiroth ran up and slashed Reno through the left arm, then lifted him up and threw him down the stairwell, next to a scared young secretary who took him to the infirmary and then returned to her post.

"Who was that girl?" Tseng asked.

"An SIA Agent. She's basically a Turk in Training, but I can't blame her from hiding from Sephiroth when she did," Rude explained.

"She stalled AVALANCHE though, and we are one short now…" Tseng thought. "Give me her file. I think we should test her out. After all, people who know exactly what our enemies look like are few and far between."

--

The passage through the bog was worse than Cloud could have imagined. The marshes were basically a thick soup of stagnant water and moss, with hardly a dry patch for miles. A few scattered trees were the only landmarks and with a thick fog hanging in the air, Cloud wondered if they'd be able to make it to the other side without going in circles.

The chocobos helped the passage, except for Red who was forced to walk up to his knees in the mess. He didn't complain, but the group could tell he wasn't enjoying the experience.

"Are you okay, Red?" Aeris had asked him.

"I'm fine, why do you ask?" Red replied.

"Well it's just, I know cats don't like to get wet and-"

Red cut her off there. "Cat?! I am no milk-sipping domestic pet! I am a proud warrior of Cosmo Canyon!"

To prove his point he dashed a few hundred yards and hissed loudly. Nobody talked to him for the remainder of the day.

Night fell, and that was when the bog truly became insufferable. There was no suitable place to camp and they had to make another hours journey to the north just to camp on some rocks near the foot of the mountain.

"Ugh, I hope I don't roll over and wake up in this mess," Tifa sighed.

"Some of us can't do anything about that," Red growled and shook off behind a tall rock.

"Um, sorry about before," Aeris said. She walked up to pat him and he grudgingly let her. "I didn't mean to offend you."

"It's not your fault," Red said tersely. "Don't worry about it."

Barrett unpacked the sleeping bags. "Well at least it ain't raining tonight."

Cloud was setting out some greens for the chocobos. He noticed something moving in the waters to the south.

"What's that, Barrett?" Cloud asked.

It was small at first, but slowly began to slither in their direction. It stopped at the edge of the water, about a quarter mile from them, and Cloud could tell that, as massive as it was there, it was even more threatening up close.

"That must be that monster the farmer told us about. What he call it, the Zolom?" Barrett asked.

"The beast must have picked up our scent," Tifa observed. "We'll be sitting ducks if we try to get back to the bog."

"Can we beat something of that size?" Aeris asked.

"Unlikely," Red replied. "Not in the water. The serpent king is in his own element. We would not last five minutes."

"Maybe he'll leave," Cloud suggested. "Catch wind of something else or just get bored of waiting."

"We should hope so," Red replied. "Because the mountain road is much too dangerous."

--

Reno hated hospitals, and he hated doctors. Nurses he liked. And while the 64th floor of the Shinra building didn't really count as a hospital, it looked about the same when you were in one of the bedrooms. Of course, he couldn't complain. Sephiroth had basically gutted him. If it hadn't been for that SIA girl helping him out he would have died.

There was a knock on his door.

"Come in," he growled. His voice was still as firm as it had always been. It was not Reno's policy to reveal weakness.

Rude stepped in and handed Reno a folder.

"You guys are making me do work in the hospital?" Reno chuckled. "Getting low of secretaries?"

"No. We just need you to approve a new agent," Rude replied. "How are you feeling?"

Reno sat up as best he could, but he felt his stitches start to tighten, so he backed down. "I have been better. The son-of-a-bitch stabbed me in the back." Reno looked at the folder. "Why does this green need my approval?"

"She's your replacement, until you get better. Besides, we think you know her," Rude replied. He handed Reno a black and white photograph of the girl, standard copy of a Shinra I.D. Badge.

Reno's eyes widened. "This is the girl that helped me out. Elena, huh?"

"She's been with SIA four years now and has met all the prerequisites to becoming a Turk. She just needs a peer recommendation, but most of her peers are busy or dead," Rude explained with the coldness that Reno had come to expect from him.

"Yeah an attack on the company tends to do that," Rude replied. "She was involved in the Junon disaster about eight months ago, remember?"

"Oh yeah, we tried her out, but she got busted for something. Tseng turned her down and now wants her again?" Reno asked.

"Tseng rarely forgives, but I guess in this case he sees her as the only option. Still needs to go by protocol, though," Rude explained.

"So why don't you give her your approval?" Reno asked.

"Because I don't. I think it's a bad idea. She's too much of a girl scout when she's on the job and when she's off the job she's a loose cannon. Add in the stress this job brings and you've got a powder keg waiting to go off at the worst time possible," Rude explained. "I told this to Tseng and he politely told me that I wasn't the only one who could recommend her. He told me to come to you, which is why I'm now here. He's leaving it in your hands and will abide with whatever you decide."

Reno chuckled. "Tseng is playing nice?"

"No. I think he's just playing," Rude said. He leaned in closer to Reno. "I'm a little concerned Reno. We've all heard the stories. Someone on the inside is rotten. I don't think it's in the Turks but we can't rule anyone out. "

Reno nodded. "Well then. I'll play along and we'll see where the cards fall." He signed the form in front of him. "A loose cannon is just we need right now, and I'm out sick."

--

Daylight began to creep over the mountain and Tifa (who had drawn lots for the last shift of the night) began to wake everyone up.

"It can't be morning already," Aeris sighed.

"Sorry, Aeris," Tifa said. "Cloud, you up?"

Cloud lifted his sword from the rock where he had laid it. "Yeah, I'm up. Is that damn monster still here?"

Cloud looked down to the south and saw the shadow of the beast. It had waited there all night. It tried to conceal itself and had failed due to its sheer size.

"What do we do now?" Aeris asked.

"I've scouted ahead a bit," said Red. The rest didn't even notice he had gone. "The rocky path continues for a few more miles west and then simply turns back into bog. The mountains on that side cannot be scaled with our current equipment."

"So we're trapped?" Tifa asked.

"Unless we wish to travel backwards. The path east is more forgiving. Dry land all the way to our campsite from the other day," Red replied.

Cloud was astonished at how much ground Red had been able to cover in that time they had been awake. Then again he was a natural athlete.

"We need a diversion," Aeris said.

One of the chocobo's walked up to Aeris and pecked her shoulder slightly with his beak.

"What's that?" Aeris asked. The others looked over at her in astonishment. _She could understand the bird?_ "This chocobo says that they can outrun the Zolom."

"Maybe so, but for how many miles until we get back to safe land?" Barret asked.

"I noticed a small cavern on a patch of grass about five miles from the edge of the dry," Red explained.

"How could you see that far?" Cloud asked.

"I have other senses at my disposal. Like Ms. Aeris here I can read the feel of the land and nature. I looked at the mountain and felt the cavity out," Red explained.

"Why didn't you mention this sooner?" Tifa asked.

"Pardon me, but I felt no reason to mention it until a safe passage across the bog could be obtained," Red explained. "But if those chocobo's can carry you all safely across the bog, I can run just as fast, if not faster then them."

Everyone now shifted their gaze to Cloud. Cloud didn't like that. The sudden responsibility of deciding. Not that they hadn't faced danger before, but at least human enemies were predictable. There were too many maybes here. What if the chocobo's weren't as fast as they thought. What if there was more than one Zolom? What if Red couldn't keep up? What if one of them fell? Cloud had to make a decision. This was the wild. He had experience dealing with it.

"Alright then," Cloud said, summoning up his military training. "Keep a close formation, Red you take the lead. I'll be in the back. If that snake is getting anybody it's gonna be me."

There was a grave understanding in the rest of the group that they had inadvertently put their comrade in this position.

"If I get caught, don't stop running," Cloud looked over at his bird. "That includes you."

The chocobo made a sound like "kweh" in understanding. Everyone saddled up. Red took the lead, as Cloud had instructed. Aeris and Tifa were on the side and Barrett positioned himself right in front of Cloud.

"Alright then. Red, lead us to that cave. Spare no speed, because I doubt that snake will," Cloud ordered.

The group rode as fast as the chocobos could manage, which was alarmingly fast. Water kicked up for a while, but then Cloud noticed that these birds were actually running on the surface of the water, despite the weight on their backs. He could not even begin to fathom their speed when they weren't carrying a rider.

Suddenly the Zolom was upon them. But it wasn't behind them, it was ahead of them. Red and the chocobos maneuvered as best they could, and barely avoided the snake. Cloud looked behind him and saw two other Zoloms besides this one.

"There's three of them!" Cloud shouted.

Barrett began to fire at the snake's but his bullets barely even penetrated the Zolom's tough skin. Suddenly the mist began to fade and they saw a clearing just ahead of them.

"Hey!" Tifa shouted. "There's the cave!"

Suddenly a Zolom came up from the water in front of the cave. This one was far more imposing than the others. It's head seemed to raise higher than the mountain. With one mighty whip of its tail it knocked Tifa off her chocobo. She landed in the water next to Aeris's chocobo. Aeris tried to help Tifa onto hers, but the Zolom lunged at her with his fangs. Aeris leapt off the chocobo and the bird managed to duck out of the way of the Zolom's fangs as well.

The other three Zolom's were gaining on their position, but then the Great Zolom hissed and the other three backed off. It seemed he was the alpha snake. Red had gotten ahead of the Zolom and somehow it had taken no notice of it. Red hissed and the Zolom turned with the best look of amusement that a snake could muster.

"It speaks," Red explained.

The Zolom did speak, but not in any language that the humans could understand. This was the language of beasts. The chocobos and Red knew exactly what was said.

"_Leave us, cat. The Zolom's dine on man flesh tonight."_ The Great Zolom hissed.

Red replied in a low-growl. "_Let these humans be, or you will face a warrior of Cosmo Canyon."_

The Zolom seemed to cringe, just a bit. All beasts of the wild knew the inhabitants of Cosmo Canyon, even in the backwaters of this bog. Even beasts as mighty as the Zolom feared and respected their capabilities in battle.

"_You cannot hope to take on all of us," _the Zolom smiled in an malignant, fang-bearing grin.

Cloud didn't know exactly what had been said, but he had decided that now was the time for action. He picked up Tifa and put her on the back of his chocobo and instructed Barrett to pick up Aeris silently. The other two chocobos seemed to understand this gesture and ran back to the shore with the speed of a lightning bolt. The Zolom heard the patter of water and turned sharply in time to see Barrett and Cloud ride past him. Red leapt up to the Zolom's neck and sank his fangs in deeply. The Zolom shrieked horribly at the pain and lost the will to remain upright. It sank in to the water.

Red spit out the foul-tasting snake meat and leapt over the Zolom's body. He turned to the other lesser Zolom's who began to pursue them. He let out a loud howl and the Zolom's began to shrink back into the water.

When Red got to the shore, he saw what had cause his comrades to stop so abruptly. There was a massive pike of wood in front of the cavern entrance. Impaled on it was a Zolom. A familiar blade mark cut it's neck, in what was surely the fatal blow.

"Sephiroth has been here," Cloud said.

"Our enemy is somebody who can do that?" Barrett looked on at the site with amazement.

Cloud shook his head and then turned to Red. "Thanks a lot Red. If you hadn't been there I don't think we would have gotten out of that one."

Red nodded. "It is nothing, really. Snakes and my people don't get along. It was a personal vendetta, nothing else."

Red noticed Aeris smiling at him. He wondered if she had understood his conversation with the Great Zolom.

"Is Tifa okay?" Aeris asked. "She got hit pretty hard."

Tifa stood up and nodded. "I'm fine. The trick about martial arts is learning how to take a punch as well as deliver one."

Cloud looked at her. She was as confident as ever, but he could tell she was hurting. She was favoring her left side and holding her stomach, which she tried to pass off as resting her hand on her belt.

"That may be, but I say once we're in the cave we need to make camp for the night. I think we've had a bit of an ordeal," Cloud explained. "Plus these chocobos are going to be returning to the farm now, so we'll have to go on foot."

"If I may," Barret interjected, unusually formal. "I've been down this way a time or two in my life, back when this bog was still safe. This cave is very short and on the other side is a fort where we can rest. They're not friendly with Shinra."

"You're talking about Fort Condor," Cloud replied, having also been down this way a time or two in his life.

"That's the place," Barrett nodded.

Cloud agreed. He figured Tifa could use a proper bed tonight.

"Okay then. We'll make camp at Fort Condor. Let's hurry and get through this cave," Cloud ordered.

Had they waited a few moments longer, they would have seen a Shinra chopper fly just over the mountains and land on the other side.

--

"Welcome, Elena, to your first mission as a member of the Turks," Tseng said as the chopper landed.

Elena was nervous. Her new uniform was very different. Although it was identically in every other way to the men's uniform, she wore a neckerchief instead of a tie and the jacket was much smaller and matched the contours of her body better. Rude said nothing to her, and simply fitted his pistol with a silencer.

"This is nothing like the SIA. Forget everything you've learned there," Tseng instructed. "Turks operate outside the bounds of law and only answer to the Heidigger and the President of Shinra. We are dispatched in groups of no more than three to accomplish various covert operations. Everything from kidnapping to assassination. Our 'official' function is to find candidates for SOLDIER, and by all means do that in your free time, but this is the real face of our job."

Rude decided to chime in at this point. "We don't exist, in technical terms. You won't find our names or faces in any public databases, and are only openly acknowledged collectively. Your actions as a Turk will be covered up, denied, erased. In the long run, you will have no lasting impact in the world except as an instrument."

Tseng nodded to Rude. "You must respect the orders of any Turks who are have seniority over you, and in particular, the orders of Reno and myself. These are the terms of your employment. Do you accept?"

Elena hastily nodded. This is what she had spent her life dreaming about becoming. She had played at it as a kid, and when she was admitted into the SIA, she remembered pretending that she was a Turk with her boyfriend Andy, who lived in Junon. Of course, Andy was more interested in "arresting" Elena, but she could forgive him that.

As if reading her thoughts, Tseng sternly warned. "This is not a game, Ms. Elena. Botch this up and you will never be given a chance like this again." Elena nodded, not sure whether or not she should salute. Tseng didn't seem to care. "Alright, ready your weapon. Remember we're not here to attack, but they might attack first, so be on guard."

The Turks moved stealthily into the caverns. A short hike in they found the perfect trapping point. Tseng backed against the cavern wall and made hand gestures instructing Rude to cover the far left wall where there was a slight gap, and Elena to cover a small rocky precipe, overlooking the other two points. She would be their lookout.

Elena climbed onto the rocky area and aimed her weapon. Tseng took notice of her stealth and steady hand. Suddenly she raised her hand. She raised five fingers, indicating she heard five voices. Shortly after, the others heard it two. She glanced over at Rude and waved at him to get back in the gap. She then glanced over to Tseng, who was already hidden. Tseng was very impressed.

The group walked up into the chamber and saw the sunlight from the other side of the cave.

"You were right, Barrett," Tifa noted. "This is short."

"They mined the hell out of this place," Barrett explained. "Now it's basically a shortcut through the mountains."

"Is that so?" Tseng asked, walking out from his hiding spot. He raised his arms to show that while he was, in fact, armed, he wasn't going to shoot them. Not yet, anyways.

"Just one?" Cloud asked. Cloud looked ahead and noticed the gap. He raised his sword in front of the gap; the cold steel was inches from Rude's face. "Ollie Ollie Oxenfree."

Rude patted the sword and Cloud sheathed it. Rude stepped out from the gap and straightened his tie.

Red hissed. "I smell a third one. A woman." He looked up at the precipe, where Elena was still aiming her weapon.

"Elena," Tseng half-shouted, half-whispered. "Lower your weapon." He made a hand gesture in a similar fashion. Elena complied and set her gun back in her holster.

"Hey," Cloud grinned upon seeing the girl. "You're that secretary. Looks like the Turks are really reaching for help these days."

Elena scoffed. "If Sephiroth hadn't done a number on Reno I wouldn't even be a Turk right now."

"Yes, Reno is in pretty bad condition, we're afraid." Tseng said.

"Is he okay?" Aeris asked.

Tseng nodded. "He'll live. He was very lucky actually."

"No kidding. Sephiroth could have killed him without breaking a sweat," Cloud commented.

"And that's why I'm here," Tseng explained. "Our mission was to deliver a manner of truce, if you will."

"A truce?" Tifa asked. "You think we're idiots?"

"Well that goes without saying," Tseng chuckled. "But the enemy of our enemy could be a friend."

Cloud grabbed the hilt of his sword. "Not interested. Haven't you forgotten? We're your enemy too."

Tseng again put his hands up, reinforcing that he wasn't there for a fight. Cloud did not ease his grip. "Very well then," Tseng said. "Here's the deal, you don't bother us and we won't bother you. Come anywhere near us and we'll treat you as we treat any enemy of Shinra."

"Is Dr. Hojo going to let his precious specimens get away from him?" Red growled.

"Dr. Hojo is not in charge of Shinra," Tseng said sternly. Cloud could tell that Tseng really did not like Hojo. "I guess this is goodbye then."

Tseng's eyes were aimed squarely at Aeris. Aeris seemed to understand and nodded. Cloud was not sure what manner of relationship they had besides that of repeated captor and captive. Maybe on some level, their rivalry had caused them to connect. Or maybe Aeris was so good of a person that she felt sorry for him.

"We're moving out," Tseng ordered. "Elena keep up!"

"Yes sir," Elena replied. "So where are we heading now? Junon?"

Tseng smacked his head. "Elena stop talking!"

Elena realized what she had done and covered her mouth. She didn't dare say sorry. The Turks ran out and the group heard the helicopter take off and head to the northwest.

"Okay, then," Barret sighed. "To Fort Condor then?"


	14. Chapter 13: Yuffie

Chapter XIII- Yuffie

The other side of the mountain was more habitable than the bog they had just come from. Upon taking their first steps out of the cave they saw a massive set of plains with scattered sections of forests. There was one rough patch near a massive tower off to the west, where Cloud noticed a gigantic bird nesting.

"What in the world is that?" Aeris asked.

"That is Fort Condor," Barret answered. "We're heading that way. These plains won't last too long before we hit some of the woods around there. I'd like to get there before sunset if at all possible."

"I doubt we will," Cloud replied. "We no longer have the chocobos, remember. It will probably take us another day to make it that far."

Barret shrugged. "Well then, we'd better get moving. We have a lot of ground to cover."

Aeris was holding up Tifa, whose injuries had steadily gotten worse as the day was getting on.

"Guys, I don't think she can make it that far," Aeris said.

"Don't be silly, Aeris," Tifa said, trying to keep her own feet. "I'm fine."

"No, your not," Cloud said. "Barret, give me the backpack, I need you to carry Tifa."

"Not a problem," Barret said handing over the backpack. Cloud noticed that the pack was much lighter than when they had first left Midgar.

"We're running low on food. I hope Fort Condor is well stocked," Cloud said.

Had Tifa's injuries not been internal, then Aeris would have been able to use the power of the materia to heal her. As it was, she required medicine and proper rest for at least a week. Cloud started to feel the burden of leadership more than ever. Up until now their journey had been fairly easy. A battle with some wolves aside, they had been in good health and well fed. The trek across the bog and battle with the Zolom's had taken much out of them.

Nobody knew exactly how bad Tifa's injury was, but based on the massive bruise covering her stomach and chest, Cloud was very worried that the internal bleeding would be bad enough to kill Tifa. They needed to get her to a hospital soon.

Cloud began to wonder if he was the right person to lead this group. His reason for the journey was simply to deal with Sephiroth, but was he endangering the lives of his friends for his own selfish desires?

Red, who had a knack for reading people, walked alongside Cloud. "You've done remarkably so far, Cloud."

Cloud nodded, but he didn't feel that way right now. "I should be thanking you. You took care of the Zolom's for us."

Red ignored his praise and continued. "I had my doubts about you and your friends at first. I generally don't trust humans, but I must confess you people are a credit to your race." Red looked back at Barret, carrying Tifa on his back. "Don't let a few setbacks discourage you."

Red sank back in the group to travel alongside Aeris. The warrior had taken a special interest in that girl lately. Cloud wondered if it was because they could both commune with nature, or because they were both the most reserved and mature persons in the group. He had seen them have entire conversations without opening their mouths once, like a kind of telepathy. Those two… connected.

Cloud had never had that kind of bond with anybody in his entire life. Except, perhaps, Sephiroth.

Night came quicker than Cloud had anticipated and they were stuck in the middle of a patch of trees about three miles around. Cloud wanted to move out of the woods and take shelter on the plains, but then Red reminded him that they were technically in hiding.

Everybody surrendered their sleeping bags to Tifa for the time being. They made a makeshift bed out of them and Tifa fell asleep almost instantly. Before shifts started, the three men had a conversation. Aeris kept an eye of Tifa to make sure she was alright.

"Tifa's injuries are bad," Cloud said. "Barret, are you confident we can make it to Fort Condor by tomorrow."

"We'll have to keep at it, but hiking all day, we should make it well before sunset," Barret explained.

"If she has internal bleeding," Red began. "She will need a capable doctor. To be frank, it's a wonder she hasn't died already given her state."

"Tifa is very tough," Barret said. "She'll hang on until Death himself comes to finish her off."

"Alright then. I'll take the first shift, everybody else get some sleep," Cloud said.

--

_Yuffie Kisaragi_. The young girl thought this over and over as she hiked through the dense woods. _My name is Yuffie Kisaragi._

The young woman was from the Wutai clan. She had long since left that life behind her though. She was raised to be a ninja; a lovely instrument of war. Yuffie knew that it was all crap. Despite her father's talk of honor and discipline, in the end the skills she had learned were skills of murder.

Yuffie would have nothing of it. She refused to learn skills that she would never employ. She had no problem killing people, by any means (although she had never actually done it). She just wanted her father to start acting like the man he claimed to be and rise up against Shinra, who had taken her once proud nation captive.

The two had many fights on this subject, and she finally ran away from home. That was two years ago, when she was only fourteen. She had only managed to make a living as a thief. Her specialty was materia. She could pick pockets, rob entire stores blind, and do so with the speed and stealth she had been taught from age three.

Of course, ever since she arrived on the Western Continent, she had noticed a slight decrease in business. All the travelers lived in the big, Shinra run cities, like Junon and Midgar, and thievery there would simply not do.

_Yuffie Kisaragi, the materia hunter_. Yuffie thought. _Some hunter I am now, huh?_

She hadn't had a meal since leaving Junon and was completely out of money. She was heading to Fort Condor now to beg for some scraps. Yuffie could not believe it. Her warriors pride was damaged. She was a Kisaragi. A noblewoman. And here she was about to act like a common beggar.

Suddenly in the clearing ahead, she saw a campfire. She decided to get a closer look at this group. She climbed up a tree and looked down on the group. There was a big dark guy with a gun where his right hand should be, an equally tough looking guy in a SOLDIER uniform, and some wild beast that looked like a Crimson Fang. Yuffie also noticed two women, and one of them was clearly wounded.

_I bet those guys are bandits. They've probably kidnapped those girls_, Yuffie thought. She didn't particularly care. All it meant was two more people to rob.

--

Red smelt the air. Something was amiss.

"We're being observed," Red said softly.

"By who?" Barret asked, readying his gunarm.

"Not sure. It smells… young," Red explained.

Suddenly Barret felt something hard hit him in the back of the head. He fell over, unconscious. Before Cloud could dodge, he too was hit by the object, a massive metal shuriken. It cut his left arm deeply before returning to its owner, a young girl with short black hair. Cloud lifted his sword and Red readied his claws.

"Hand over your materia and you won't be hurt," Yuffie shouted confidently.

"You're outnumbered five-to-one," Red replied tersely. "Shouldn't you be surrendering?"

Yuffie laughed and leapt up to the trees. She ran in a circle bouncing off the tree trunks. She threw her shuriken, which hit Red's tail. He hissed loudly, awakening Aeris.

"Barret! Get up!" Cloud shouted.

Barret was still unconscious; the brat had done a number on him. As Cloud approached him, the girl stopped in front of him and delivered a hard punch to his ribs. As Cloud tried to counter, she disappeared.

"She's fast," Aeris said, lifting her staff.

"I'm faster," Red said. He disappeared in a red blur. The sound of hissing and claws hitting metal and tearing clothing echoed through the trees, but Aeris and Cloud couldn't see anything. Suddenly Yuffie was in front of Cloud, facing the other direction. He grabbed her arms, and Red appeared in front of her.

"Let go of me!" Yuffie shouted.

"What should we do with her?" Red asked.

Cloud saw that this girl was just that; a girl, maybe 15 or 16. "I don't really have the heart to kill her."

"Maybe we should tie her up and leave her for the damned monsters," Barret grunted, finally coming to.

In one solid motion, Yuffie broke out of Cloud's grasp and attempted to deliver another punch, but Cloud's training kicked in and he deftly blocked it. He grabbed her wrist and bent her arm behind her back. She knelt down on the ground.

"Ow ow ow ow ow!" Yuffie cursed. "Come on, fight like a man!"

"I'm gonna let you go, but if you try to hit me one more time, I'm gonna go with Barret's idea," Cloud said. "Do you understand?"

Yuffie said nothing for a long time and finally groaned. "Okay." Cloud let go of her arm and Yuffie rubbed her wrist. "How could you be so mean to a girl?!"

Cloud couldn't help but laugh at this, and even Red chuckled a bit, in what sounded like barking. Barret was not amused.

"Who are you and why are you trying to rob us?" Cloud demanded, regaining composure.

"I am Yuffie Kisaragi, an expert materia hunter and proud ninja of the Wutai clan," Yuffie declared.

"You're from Wutai," Red said with sudden respect. "That explains your skill."

Yuffie seemed genuinely pleased. "Thank you! You must be from Cosmo Canyon, huh?"

Red also seemed pleased by this. "Indeed. My name is…. You can call me Red."

"Ahem," Cloud interjected. "This woman tried to kill us."

"No no!" Yuffie shouted. "I was just trying to rob you."

"Oh, that changes everything," Barret said. "We'll just let you go then."

"You don't understand," Yuffie said. "I was exiled from my hometown and have been forced to live off the land… and the occasional group of travelers. I know it's dishonorable, but I it's the only way I can survive."

_If he buys this load of crap, then I'm home free_, Yuffie thought.

"That's no excuse. How old are you?" Cloud asked.

"I'm sixteen, not that it's any of your business. I was just on my way to Fort Condor to beg for some food, so just let me go, okay," Yuffie pleaded.

"We were headed that way too, now that you mention it," Aeris said. "Would you like some food?"

Yuffie's eyes turned from one of false begging to that of sincere begging. "Yes, please!"

Aeris handed her a small piece of bread. The men looked at her with disgust, as though she were feeding their most vile enemy. She returned a look of moral indignation that said _are you really going to let this poor girl starve?_ The men backed down and sighed.

"My name is Aeris Gainsborough," Aeris said. "This is Barret Wallace, Tifa Lockhart and our leader Cloud Strife."

"Leader?" Yuffie asked with a full mouth. "Are you bandits?"

"No," Barret said with a bit of a smile. "Terrorists. Although we prefer 'freedom fighters'."

Yuffie suddenly stood up. "Are you guys fighting against Shinra?"

Barret was now fired up. "You better believe it. We won't stop until every Mako Reactor is blown to kingdom come and those fat money-grubbing bastards are pushing up daisies. We are AVALANCHE!"

Yuffie bowed very low and humble. "If you guy are fighting against Shinra then please allow me to accompany you! I've always wanted revenge for what they've done to my homeland."

"Well we're technically after this guy named Sephiroth right now," Cloud explained. He unwittingly told her everything that had happened, and Yuffie hung on his every word. With excitement and devotion, particularly at mention of the Mako Reactor explosions and the death of President Shinra.

"Wow!" Yuffie said at the story's end (which was of their confrontation with the Turks in the cave). "You guys are badass!"

Yuffie was genuinely impressed, but she hadn't forgotten a particular part of the story that had perked her interest. This group had acquired some odd materia during their journey which would probably fetch a good price at market. So she figured she could stick around with this group for a little while and when she got bored, she'd rob them blind.

"I am so sorry," Yuffie said. "I really didn't mean any harm. Please allow me to travel with you."

Once again everybody looked at Cloud, and Cloud shrugged his shoulders. "She seems a competent fighter and she's clearly no friend of Shinra. You can travel with us, but any funny business and we'll leave you in a ditch somewhere."

Yuffie nodded, bowed politely and then walked over to Tifa. "So this is Tifa then, the one that got hit by that Zolom?"

"Yes," Barret said. "It's gotta be internal bleeding that's causing that bruise."

"Well I'm not surprised. The Zolom's tail is about as tough as a boulder. But that doesn't explain the black color. It must be skin death, which means," Yuffie pulled some strange herbs out of her satchel. "She's been poisoned. Unlike most snake's, the Zolom can poison its food simply through skin contact. The poison is excreted through their body like sweat."

Red was impressed that this young girl had known about this and he hadn't. "Where did you learn about this?"

"Oh… my father is a medicine man in Wutai," Yuffie lied. She had actually learned about it from her mother, but Yuffie never wanted to mention her. In spite of her dishonorable ways and the fact that she didn't believe in any of the nonsense her father said, she didn't want to do anything that would dishonor her mother, and so she never mentioned her. Not until she was a better person, and she didn't know when that would be.

Yuffie cut up the herb with a small kunai she pulled out of her belt. When the leaf was a powder she grabbed a small skin of water and poured the medicine in it. "She needs to drink the whole thing."

Tifa had been asleep through everything, and Cloud realized he would have a tough time explaining this to her when she woke up. He poured the water down her throat. There was no immediate reaction, but Yuffie assured them that it would take time. Yuffie also instructed Red to chew on some of the leaves in case he had contracted the poison when he bit the Zolom.

--

The following morning, the team awoke, but Tifa remained fast asleep. Barret lifted her up on his back and Cloud again took the backpack. As they traveled up a small set of hills towards the fort, Yuffie filled Aeris with tails of Wutai and Aeris told Yuffie much about the Ancients. Barret and Cloud were discussing whether or not they could trust this newcomer and Red was taking the lead, acting as their scout.

Noon came and went, but they didn't stop for lunch, since they had nothing but scraps of food left anyways. Each person took a small handful of bread, some water from their individual skins and Barret was given the last scrap of meat they had since he was carrying Tifa and needed the extra strength.

Finally when the sun was just on its way down, they arrived at the rocky pillar that was Fort Condor. A few armed scouts went down to investigate them. They seemed disturbed by Cloud's uniform.

"State your business!" One of the guards demanded.

"We're travelers seeking food and shelter for our injured comrade," Cloud explained.

"It's a lie!" Another cursed. "That's the uniform of SOLDIER. He's with Shinra."

Cloud raised his hands. "I'm not a member of Shinra anymore. It's true I was with them once but I am no longer in their service. Besides do you think Shinra is dumb enough to send a uniformed SOLDIER to do espionage?"

The guards looked at each other and finally nodded.

"Alright then," the first one said. "There's a rope ladder in the back of the cave. Climb up it and you'll be in the fort. Ask for Dennis, he's in charge of the operation."

--

Fort Condor had been a pretty quiet place of late. Shinra was cooking up something big in the Mako Reactor at the base of the mountain, and the citizens of this fort weren't going to stand for it any longer. If they went into the Mako Reactor they would likely kill the massive Condor that had taken up residency there, and would also kill its unborn chick. The Condor's were an endangered species and they would not let their namesake be damaged.

Shinra, of course, was not one to trifle with such things and they demanded access to their reactor at all times. In the end, a full-scale war had broken out. Women and children had been sent over the mountains to Kalm or to stay with relatives in Lower Junon. Only the men stayed, and they were not enough to form an army.

They hired mercenaries all the time, which is what Dennis was expecting when he saw Cloud and his party arrive in the fort.

"Ah welcome," said the man in a deep voice. He was old, but still looked very tough. "Are you an outfit of mercenaries?"

"I'm afraid we are not," Cloud said. "We're just travelers looking for some shelter."

"I'm terribly sorry," Dennis explained. "Now is not the best time for us to entertain, there is a war going on here."

Dennis explained the situation to the members of Avalanche. Battles occurred often and without warning, and there was no way of knowing when the next attack would come. Furthermore, at the moment they were shorthanded, and could not possibly hope to survive an invasion.

"Well Shinra's concentrating on Sephiroth right now. They might not attack for a while," Cloud explained.

"But that it were so," Dennis said. "Shinra hired a special unit of soldiers to deal with this fort alone. They are known as the Warhammer Unit. They specialize in infiltration and sieges of places such as this. No matter how many we kill more pop up. And to make matters worse, they've trained monsters to fight alongside them. Wyverns and Beasts of all manner."

Cloud nodded. He had heard of both the Warhammer Unit and the trained monsters that Shinra used. He figured there was only one way to solve both their problems.

"Very well then. How about this? We'll work here as mercenaries. We don't want your money, just room and board and some medicine for our sick friend," Cloud said. "We're all extremely skilled fighter and have experience taking down entire companies of Shinra soldiers."

Dennis seemed overwhelmed with joy. "Very well. You work for what you eat."

--

A couple of weeks passed. Tifa's condition slowly improved and the poisonous bruising on her stomach slowly reduced in size. The food in the fort was very good, despite being military rations. Each day, Cloud and the others patrolled the fort, and each day nothing exciting happened (except one instance of a loose Wyvern showing up on the field and Dennis swearing that it was the first wave of an attack).

Aeris insisted upon helping out by keeping the place clean. The fort had clearly not seen a woman's touch in many months, let alone a woman as was indicated by various soldiers hitting on her.

Finally the day had come and the group was preparing to leave. Tifa had still not awoken, but the poison was out of her system and Cloud was afraid to wait any longer for fear of losing ground on his quarry, Sephiroth.

Their backpacks were packed with the finest food the fort could offer, enough to make the trip to Junon. They were given new sleeping bags and some additional medicine for Tifa in case her illness returned.

Suddenly a lookout shouted "The Warhammer's are on the move!"

Cloud and the others rushed up to the top floor and saw a company of about thirty heavily armed soldiers marching up the hill. Cloud, Barret, Red, and Yuffie marched out onto the field. Aeris stayed behind to provide healing for any one who needed it. They were joined by twelve soldiers from the Fort itself.

"Seventeen of us versus thirty of them," a soldier moaned.

"I like those odds," Cloud said confidently. He lifted his sword and rushed at one soldier, cutting him down before the soldier could even open fire.

The Warhammer's began shooting, but Barret's aim was much better. He took down four by himself before he had to take cover. The morale of the troops shot up and they began to charge at the Warhammers. Yuffie leapt across stones and threw her shuriken. It arced around the battlefield, hitting three soldiers before returning to her. She landed in front of a fourth and delivered a bone-crushing punch. Red was the fastest of all, knocking down soldier after soldier and tearing soldiers apart with his claws.

Two soldiers made their way up to Aeris, but she laid them flat with some quick work with her staff. As soon as it had begun, the battle was over, with the shattered remains of the Warhammer Unit laying on the ground in front of them.

"Is it over?" Cloud asked.

Suddenly the ground began to shake and a massive soldier made its way onto the field. It wasn't a soldier, so much as a massive two-legged beast with a huge horn on its head. It let out a massive roar and proceeded to knock Cloud back three feet with one punch. The beast's skin was like armor and it towered at least three feet above Cloud. Cloud got up and tried to strike it with his sword, but the only result was the sword vibrating so hard Cloud lost his grip and dropped it on the ground before him.

Barret ran up and fired a round directly in the beasts eye and it growled in pain. The beast began to chase Barret now. He was running up the hill but signaled to the others to stay back. He had a plan. The beast finally cornered Barret on the top of a cliff. It was at least a two-hundred foot drop from this point. The monster charged and Barret jumped over the edge, grabbing onto the rock's ledge as the monster went tumbling over the edge to its doom.

Barret climbed back up, with Cloud's help and smiled. "I always wanted to do that."

Cloud and the other soldiers laughed and went back inside to celebrate their victory. Aeris cried out to them that there was more good news. Tifa had woken up.

They gathered around her bed and filled her in on what had happened. She looked at Yuffie with a puzzled look on her face.

"Who are you?" Tifa asked.

"Yuffie Kisaragi," Yuffie replied. "Nice to meet you."


	15. Chapter 14: Rufus

Chapter XIV- Rufus

The journey northwest to Junon was a difficult one. They had been provided with a map marking the safest trail through the dense woods, and Cloud insisted that they follow it religiously. Now that Barret was carrying the backpack and Tifa was able to move under her own power, the group could travel much faster than before.

Yuffie took the lead. She had just come from Junon before their encounter and knew the trail very well. The wild lands of the western continent were vast indeed, and it took the group two days of hiking to make it to the doorstep of the great city Junon.

Junon was built on the seafront. With the exception of a small town below and before it, all of Junon was mechanical and layered, just like Midgar. A massive armor plating protected Junon's central figure, a massive cannon pointing out to sea. This was Scarlet's masterpiece. She called it the Sister Ray, and it was a weapon that fired a concentrated mako round that could hit almost anywhere in the world. It was not so much a defensive option for Junon, as a long-range offensive option.

The party could not be more happy to see Junon, despite knowing that, as a Shinra town, they would not be able to move about too freely. The girls all agreed that a bath and clean clothes would be a welcome relief and the men were noticing that their feet would no longer carry them, particularly Barret.

The underbelly of Junon was a small fishing village that had been little more than a getaway before Shinra chose the location. As with all occupied areas, the original name of the town had been forgotten to all but the old timer's (who didn't dare mention the name for fear of offending Shinra). Most people around here just called it Lowtown.

"Okay, so should we find an inn?" Yuffie asked.

"Maybe a resaraunt too. I mean we don't have too much gil, but we could probably get at least one cooked meal," Tifa added.

"Okay then. Aeris and Tifa find us a place to eat. Barret and Yuffie find us an inn. Red and I will scout the area out for Shinra soldiers," Cloud instructed.

The group set to their task, which was easier said than done in Lowtown. The only restaurant in town was a sushi restaurant, and their provisions from Fort Condor were made from fish and vegetables. Nobody felt like eating there. The only inn in Lowtown was full-up (for reasons which would become clear to them later) and their concern about Shinra guards was well founded as an entire company was patrolling the area near the elevator up to Junon.

"Something big must be going on upstairs," Barret said. "I wonder what the deal is."

"Not sure, but I don't like the idea of trying to find out with all those guards around. Let's head down to the beach and make camp there for the night," Cloud said.

There was a collective groan of disappointment, but they knew there was nothing to help it. So they headed down a small boardwalk to the beach. They saw, near the end of the beach, a small girl playing in the water.

"I hope she's okay," Aeris said.

"Hehe. Kids that age can take a blow better than most adult, she'll be fine. Besides the water's fine. I gotta give those Shinra bastards that, they know how to sanitize," Barret chuckled.

Cloud had noticed that Barret had been extremely jovial on this journey. When everyone else complained or moaned, he seemed to have a smile on his face.

"You seem happy," Cloud said.

"Cloud, for the first time in a long time I am out of Midgar," Barret said. "I am delighted."

Suddenly something popped its head out of the water. It was a dolphin. The girl began to talk to it and feed it fish as it jumped in the air for her.

"Wow," Yuffie gasped. "She's got that dolphin pretty well trained."

The others laughed and applauded the spectacle, but Red was moving closer to her and growling. Suddenly, Aeris stopped smiling too.

"Something's coming," Red announced.

No sooner had he said this than a massive sea serpent leapt out of the sea and shrieked deafeningly. The dolphin swam away as fast as it could, but the little girl was terrified, standing right in front of it.

The serpent lunged at her, but Red leapt in front of the girl and batted the serpents head away with his claws. The serpent cried out in pain and began to coil its body for a more effective attack. Before Red could see what it had done, the serpent grabbed the girl's leg with his tail and dragged her under the water. The little girl screamed before being dragged under and Yuffie's voice matched hers.

"The Seawyrm!" she cried. "They kill their prey by drowning them. We have to stop it!"

Yuffie threw her shuriken and it cut through the serpent's oily skin, leaving a large deep cut on the back of its neck. The seawyrm hissed loudly and spit out a dark green substance which barely missed her. The sand it landed on began to condense and turn a dark black.

"Might want to watch out for that," Red warned.

He ran up the wyrm and slashed its face with his claws. Barret opened fire as soon as Red was clear and the wyrm's scales provided no protection against the searing lead bullets. In a final desperation move the seawyrm spit out the remainder of his poison. It hit Tifa's wrist and Cloud's left leg, but it only burned for a moment before it was wiped off. The seawyrm fell to the sand and breathed its last.

"You're unlucky in battle," Cloud joked.

"You don't do too badly yourself," Tifa replied.

The girl slowly rose to the surface of the water and Barret picked her up and carried her to the shore. His face was grim.

"She ain't breathing," he said.

Suddenly an old man came running down to the beach. "Priscilla!" He shouted. He saw Barret carrying his granddaughter and his panic grew. "Is she breathing? We have to get her breathing again!"

Cloud grabbed Priscilla and laid her down on the sand.

"What are you doing?" Aeris asked.

"CPR. We learned this in Shinra," he explained. He pushed on the girl's chest with one hand for five counts and then breathed into her mouth twice. He repeated this process as the tension grew. Finally Priscilla spit up some water and started to breath again.

Tifa, Aeris, Barret and Yuffie let out a collective sigh of relief and the old man gave Cloud a big hug. Cloud was caught off guard and almost fell over. The old man then picked up Priscilla and took her back to a house in Lowtown. He motioned for the others to follow him.

--

"That reminds me," came a familiar voice. In this moment, Cloud knew that he was dreaming. "Remember when you were in Nibelheim, five years ago? Where was Tifa?"

"Tifa?" Cloud thought. "She was… with us on the mountain."

"Not that time," came the voice. "The other time."

"The other time…. I don't know," Cloud relented.

"Ask her," the voice said.

"Wait a minute. Who are you?" Cloud asked.

--

Cloud awoke to Tifa shaking him. He looked at the clock and saw that he hadn't been asleep more than four hours.

"What's going on?" Cloud asked.

"Something's happening in the city above. A huge band started playing and it looks like a parade's about to start," Tifa explained.

"A parade? Shinra must be in town," Cloud observed.

"It's his inauguration!" Barret said as he barged in. "Can you believe it? He's this close and we can't do anything about it."

"Not true," Cloud said. "Let's head outside."

Barret nodded and left the room.

"Hey Tifa," Cloud began. "Where were you that other time, five years ago?"

Tifa looked slightly confused. "Um. I don't know. Now's not really a good time to talk."

Cloud nodded. "You're right."

--

The sound of what must have been every marching band in Shinra echoed throughout the entire city and the sound of marching shook the foundation. Cloud figured that they would not be able to find Sephiroth here, but they might get lucky and be able to steal a ride from Shinra.

"Here's the plan. We split up. There's a boat docked in the harbor. Find disguises and meet on it, okay?" Cloud said.

"Disguises?" Yuffie asked.

"Shinra uniforms or something like that," Cloud explained. "We have very little time, so let's move. You fall behind and you get left behind."

That was actually a lie. Cloud had already worked out a plan from the very beginning and shared it with Tifa, who would lead the others safely onto the boat by mugging a group a drunken sailors on the Lowtown docks. Cloud himself had a more cunning idea to find out exactly what was going on. And so, with a little help from his newfound friend, Priscilla, his plan came together.

"Okay," Priscilla said. "Just blow this whistle and he'll do a jump. But how is that going to help you?"

"Just watch," Cloud said.

He blew the whistle and jumped in unison with the dolphin. He kicked off the back of the dolphin when it had reached its peak height and soared onto a platform almost 500 feet above the surface of the water. From there his long climb to the Junon airport began.

--

"Pull up a chair," Tseng said, greeting Reno.

"You're just in time," Rude said. "Dave here is about to buy us all drinks."

A small man was sitting nervously in his chair. He was gulping a vodka tonic like it was milk and was sweating profusely.

"What's his deal?" Reno asked.

"An AWOL SOLDIER, if you can believe it. How'd a scrawny guy like you make the cut?" Tseng asked mockingly.

"Cut the shit Tseng," Dave cursed. "If you're gonna take me in, then do it. I don't care anymore."

"What happened to you?" Rude asked, only feigning concern.

Dave wiped sweat off of his forehead and took another long gulp. "It was… that black-robed man. He's… I saw him here in town and… he told me."

"Spit it out man," Rude shouted. "Where's this guy?"

"I saw him in Lowtown. He was...he said he'd find Rufus and… he'd kill anyone who stopped him from returning to the Promised Land…"

"Shit," Reno cursed. "You're off the hook Dave. Get your ass back in a uniform by sundown or we'll throw you off the Sister Ray."

Tseng nodded along with Reno's suggestion and the three Turks left the bar. They walked out into an alleyway and watched as a platoon of soldiers marched along to the overly cheery music.

"What are we gonna do. This is a public event we can't just shout, 'hey Sephiroth is here!'" Reno commented.

"I'll get Heidegger to send a detachment of SOLDIER through Lowtown. If Sephiroth is here, he won't get far," Tseng said.

"You really think so?" Reno asked. "So far this guy wiped out our entire staff at the Shinra Tower and even took me down. I know power and this guy is a freakin' God."

"I don't think Sephiroth's M.O. involves attacking in public. Remember I used to work with him and Zack. Sephiroth likes his privacy," Tseng said.

"So did Zack, for all the good it did him," Reno chuckled. He then straightened up realizing that his joke was in poor color. "Anyways, I'll look around too."

Rude nodded along and they headed down the alley.

--

Cloud arrived at the airport in Junon and took a moment to rest. He sat on a bench when he was suddenly dragged into a locker room by a guard captain.

"What do you think you're doing?" The captain shouted.

Cloud was ready to raise his weapon when the captain said something that confused him.

"You're still dressed like that?! This is formation, son! Get in your uniform!" The captain shouted.

Cloud laughed internally, but didn't dare blow his unintentional cover. The idiot thought he was a Shinra soldier and who could blame him. He was wearing a SOLDIER uniform. He walked over to a random locker which luckily had a uniform in it. He put it on and presented himself in front of the captain like he had done so many times in the past.

"Not bad, son. You clean up okay, once a mask covers those damn spikes of yours. Now fall in!"

--

Cloud ended up marching his way to where the inauguration ceremony was being held. He never could have dreamed how well things had gone. Before he knew it, he was standing directly in front of Rufus and Heidigger.

"Sephiroth is here?" Rufus cursed.

"Don't worry. Now that the ceremony is over, every available guard is looking for him," Heidigger explained.

"They better find him or it will be your ass," Rufus explained. "I'm heading to the ship. I await my send-off."

Rufus ascended a lift and as soon as he was out of view, Heidigger turned and punched Cloud in the stomach. It was, sadly, a familiar sensation. Heidigger took his rage out on several other soldiers and then walked off to join his colleagues.

"Damn, Heidigger's pissed," one soldier commented.

"It's cause that black-caped man ditched his guards in Lowtown," another said.

"Where do they think he is now?" Cloud asked, trying to make some sense of it.

"Probably on the damned boat," a third laughed.

"Dismissed!" a captain shouted and the group broke.

Cloud headed for the ship, where hopefully he would find his comrades waiting for him.

--

Author's Note:

I apologize for the rushed feel of this chapter, but it is my least favorite part of the game. That also explains why I was so late on updating this. Thank you to my few loyal readers and I promise that chapters will start coming in more steadily now. BTW: I will have the send-off. don't worry!


	16. Chapter 15: JENOVA

Chapter XV: JENOVA

"Look, I didn't see anybody," Private Jameson said as Rude grabbed him by the neck.

Tseng walked up to him and pulled out his shoulder-holstered gun. He waved it around the Private's neck and signaled for Rude to push him up against one of the crates. The docks were bustling with life at the moment, but nobody wanted to interfere with official Turk business.

"Really. You didn't see any stowaways?" Tseng asked.

"You know, it's your job to be alert and make sure no unauthorized personnel get onboard this ship," Reno said.

"I know my damned job. I was here the entire time!" Private Jameson said, struggling against Rude.

"Really?" Asked Elena, who appeared from behind a crate carrying some papers. She handed them to Tseng. "Is that why you were seen rendezvousing with an unidentified female at the love hotel in Upper Junon?"

"That wasn't me. I gave a friend my ID so he could get a discount," Jameson said.

Rude pulled his head back. "Don't lie to us. You realize that there is a dangerous criminal on the loose and he could be on this ship because you were getting some?"

Rude let go of his head and backhanded him in the nose. Jameson fell to the ground in pain.

"You know the price for desertion is death. But I'm feeling generous today," Tseng said. "You've got 24 hours to resign your post. You'll be thrown in jail for breach of contract, but you'll live."

Jameson stood up. "What about that other guy?"

Reno walked over to him. "Other guy?"

"There was this one soldier who came onboard. He walked kinda funny," Jameson explained.

"Funny?" Elena asked. "Like he was drunk?"

"No, it's…" Jameson felt silly saying it. "It was almost like he didn't know how to walk on two legs."

--

Cloud stood alongside three other soldiers who had been chosen for their skill at drilling. The cargo ship was right in front of him, but he couldn't board it now. He would just have to play along and hope he could sneak aboard later.

Rufus came walking up from the direction of the airport. Heidigger began his drill commands.

"Squad," he shouted. "Present Arms!"

And the routine began. It was a standard drill routine that he had done numerous times before, and his form never wavered. Rufus applauded politely at its conclusion.

"Wonderful," he smiled. "Simply wonderful. You are the pride of Shinra military. I've arranged for bonuses for all three of you." Rufus glanced at Cloud. "But then I didn't know there would be four of you presenting."

Rufus walked up to Cloud and stared at him intently. The mask covered Cloud's eyes and hair, but he still felt exposed.

"No matter," Rufus smiled. He handed Cloud a small folded piece of paper. It was a gil note, but inside there was also another handwritten note. "That's about five times your monthly salary. Don't spend it all in one place."

Rufus walked off and summoned Heidigger to follow him. The other soldiers returned to their posts and Cloud walked up the ramp. He glanced at the note, expecting to find a warning or a threat from Rufus, but he was pleasantly surprised. The note was given unintentionally and was from Rufus to Heidigger.

_Heidigger:_

_Under the circumstances, I don't believe our usual lines of communication are safe routes for this message. He may be here, and AVALANCHE could be as well. Therefore do not read this message out loud and destroy it once you have finished reading it._

_He is heading for Nibelheim._

_--_

Cloud rested below deck, contemplating what he had just read. Why would Sephiroth be heading for Nibelheim? What could possibly be gained by returning there?

He saw another soldier crawling over towards him.

"Hey are you okay?" Cloud asked.

"It's me," the timid voice of Yuffie replied. "I'm not good with boats…"

"Sea sickness?" Cloud asked.

"No, just overall motion sickness," Yuffie sighed. "I've only ever traveled on foot before, so ships, chocobos… I just can't deal."

Cloud chuckled. "Doesn't that hurt your ninja pride?"

Yuffie hissed. "Shut up! It's not nice of you to make fun of me, you know that?"

Cloud tossed Yuffie a small vial of tranquilizer he snatched from one of the medical crates. "That should calm it down some."

The cargo bay was loaded with more supplies than usual. The only explanation that made sense was that Shinra was moving a large force onto the Western Continent. Cloud groaned at the thought of Shinra ruining their only chance to draw Sephiroth out into the open.

And of course the question that had plagued Cloud since the start of the journey was what exactly did Sephiroth want? At this point, the name of the game was simply tracking him down and trying to find out.

Cloud walked over to the stairs. He was stopped by a soldier was resting against the entrance to the boiler room.

"Cloud!" Aeris called.

"Aeris. Are you okay?" Cloud asked.

Aeris giggled. "Why is that always the first thing you ask me? I'll have you know I fit this role like a glove. And you said I wasn't cut out for SOLDIER."

"This is grunt work," Cloud sighed. "SOLDIER is much harder."

Aeris shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever. Have you seen the others?"

"Yuffie is back there," Cloud pointed towards the cargo bay door. "She's got a touch of motion sickness."

"I saw Red on deck, which is a bad place for him. He sticks out like a sore thumb," Aeris sighed.

Cloud nodded. "I'll go talk to him and look for the others. Stay put, okay?"

"I'm not going anywhere," Aeris sighed.

Cloud climbed the stairs and saw daylight for the first time in three hours. The sun was almost blinding, as it reflected off the steel and water. He saw Tifa, trying to hide her female figure underneath a uniform that was two sizes too big for her. He also saw Red standing on the upper deck and stumbling around like a drunk on a unicycle.

He walked over to Red, put his arm around Red's shoulder and whispered into his ear.

"Are you nuts? You can't pass for human," Cloud hissed.

"Something I pride myself in," Red growled. "But I've done fine so far. You humans never pay attention to detail. I think I do fine as a human."

Cloud glanced down at Red's pants. "Your tail is sticking out."

Red turned, hissed in annoyance, and ran below deck. Cloud looked around the boat, searching for his last missing comrade. He finally saw Barret, leering through the window of the commander's room near the front of the vessel. He walked over to Barret and jumped back as he pounded the deck.

"Those bastards are this close and I can't do anything about it. Because of them… Biggs, Wedge, Jesse…" Barret looked as though he was about to fire his gunarm manically, but he cooled himself down.

Suddenly a siren went out over the ship. "Unidentified passenger located in the boiler room! Assault team, check it out!"

Barret glanced at Cloud. "Is that one of ours?"

"Aeris was outside it, but I don't think she went in," Cloud replied.

Tifa, Aeris, Red and Yuffie ran up to Cloud. Aeris was panting. "Something…"

"What is it?" Cloud asked, grabbing onto her shoulders.

"Something went inside the boiler…" Aeris gasped for air. "It killed all the guards in its path."

Cloud lifted his sword. "I'm checking this out."

--

The boiler room was a dark pit. There was no source of light save the boiler itself, and metal catwalks hung above it dangerously close. How the mechanics worked on it with such little light was thoroughly beyond Cloud.

Barret and Aeris had insisted on coming with him, and then the others felt the need to join him, except Yuffie who was sort of dragged along by guilt of being the only noncompliant.

A captain stood in front of the boiler. Cloud felt no more need to keep his disguise and began to shout.

"Step away from the boiler!" Cloud shouted. "Turn around and keep your hands where I can see them."

The captain began to turn, and blood spilled from a massive wound in his chest. He fell to the ground in a mess. Aeris gasped and Yuffie tried not to lose her lunch. The soldier fell to the ground and standing behind him was a tall man with long white hair. He was garbed in a black robe that went all the way to his knees. He wore military boots and carried a massive katana that was almost his own height.

"Sephiroth!" Cloud shouted, raising his sword.

Sephiroth grabbed his head, and shuddered as if he were in pain. He looked at Cloud with eyes that burned, filled with hatred, sorrow and confusion.

"Do I know you?" Sephiroth asked.

"It's me! Cloud!" Cloud said. "From five years ago."

"Cloud?" Sephiroth asked. "Is that what they've called you?"

Sephiroth leapt to the top of the boiler and disappeared.

"That was Sephiroth?" Yuffie asked.

"He looks even tougher than he sounds," Barret noticed.

There was a low gurgling sound, like gnashing flesh. Cloud and Aeris turned to see a massive deformed tower of flesh and bones. It reeked of death and rotting flesh and had at its apex a familiar face.

"JENOVA?" Tifa gasped.

The monstrosity spit a fireball from its mouth, which burnt Red's tail. He hissed in pain and Yuffie doused the flame with her uniform (which she had since removed). The others tore off their disguises as well and raised their weapons.

Barret, who had always been the shoot first-ask questions later type, began to fire at JENOVA, but his bullets seemed to veer off-course.

"I can't hit that damn thing!" He shouted.

Cloud ran up close and slashed through JENOVA with his sword, but he was pushed off by one of the beasts deformed arms. Tifa realized that her martial arts would be of little use against JENOVA and she reached into her pocket looking for anything that would be of use.

Yuffie threw her shuriken. It slingshot around JENOVA's head and came back to her covered in blood and sinew. Red took the opportunity to exact a little revenge and blasted JENOVA with a fire spell of his own. Aeris leapt out of the way of JENOVA's second fireball and then cast an ice spell at JENOVA.

"Magic is the way to go!" Aeris shouted.

"That does me a hell of a lot of good," Barret cursed.

Suddenly the room was engulfed in flame. A massive being wrought in fire hovered in the air just above JENOVA. He collected all the flame to him and enveloped JENOVA in the inferno.

JENOVA screeched in pain and began to thrash about irrationally. Barret opened fire again and Cloud finished off the monster. JENOVA disappeared, except for one tendon of its arm.

"That really was JENOVA," Cloud sighed.

"I thought JENOVA was a person," Aeris said. "Sephiroth's mother."

"There's a lot we don't know," Cloud explained. "JENOVA is more than that."

"Obviously," Red nodded, looking at the arm. "If a mere piece of it can summon that."

Yuffie glanced over at Tifa who was holding a red materia orb. "Hey, you're the person that summoned that thing."

"Yeah. The girl we saved gave it to me as a thank you," Tifa looked at Cloud. "Well she wanted me to give it to you, but now wasn't a good time."

Cloud nodded.

"So, what now?" Aeris asked.

Cloud put on his uniform. "Stay out of sight. We should be docking soon. The port we'll be landing at is Costa Del Sol. We'll rest there for a day or two and then we have to hike over Mt. Corel."


	17. Chapter 16: Heidigger

Chapter XVI: Heidigger

Chapter XVI: Heidigger

Costa De Sol's sandy beaches were the first thing that Cloud saw upon exiting the massive ship. The docks were crowded with sailors and fishermen, and the nearby beaches were blooming in beach umbrellas and towels. And then, Cloud noticed the heat. It must have been over 100 degrees out. Red growled at the heat, and Aeris tore off her jacket.

"This weather is drying out my nose," Red whined.

"Yeah," Yuffie said. "I'm thinking about taking a dip in the water."

Cloud wiped sweat from his forehead. "Okay, we'll take a break. Remember, we're not on vacation here. We're looking for Sephiroth."

The others nodded and walked off, except Aeris who stood in front of Cloud.

"So Cloud," Aeris giggled. "Should I get a tan, or do you like a fair complexion better?"

Cloud shrugged his shoulders noncommittally. "Whatever works for you."

Aeris stared at him for a moment, as if trying to read his thoughts, and then walked towards the beach.

--

Heidigger and Rufus were the next to exit the ship. Rufus was in a particularly fine mood, and Heidigger's matched it.

"He was on the ship?!" Rufus shouted.

"As far as we can tell," Heidigger explained. "What's worse is our scouts in Junon found no sign of AVALANCHE. They may have been on board as well."

"Of course they were. Our inexperienced soldiers sure as hell didn't scare him away," Rufus cursed. "I hate to admit it, but they're good. Of course they're good. That Cloud is supposedly an Ex-SOLDIER."

"Really?" Heidigger asked. "That's… very interesting."

"You know something?" Rufus asked.

"No. Well… not for sure. I'll have to go through Director Lazard's old files, but…" Heidigger stopped, realizing that Rufus didn't care about the details.

"Whatever," Rufus shrugged. "When you do know something, if that ever happens, you tell me immediately."

Heidigger nodded. "But of course. Gehehehe."

"Stop that damned horse laugh!" Rufus shouted. "I am not pleased with you right now Heidigger. My father gave you a false sense of your competence. Don't fail me again."

Rufus headed down the docks towards a helipad, where a helicopter was now landing. He stopped and turned to Heidigger.

"Sir?" Heidigger asked.

"Did you get my note?" Rufus asked.

Heidigger shook his head. "No sir. I don't believe so."

Rufus regarded his hands for a moment. He chuckled lightly and then walked towards the helicopter. The chopper rose off the ground and headed west. Heidigger punched out a nearby soldier before returning to the ship.

--

Cloud sat on a chair in the inn they had checked into. He gazed out at the passing copter and looked at the note he had found. Again, it puzzled him. Why would Sephiroth want to go to Nibelheim? There was nothing there anymore, right? The town was burned to ashes years ago.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Cloud called.

Tifa walked in. She was wearing a brown bathing suit that was dripping. She had obviously run from the beach to his room. Something was amiss.

"You won't believe who I saw on the beach!" She gasped.

"Who?" Cloud asked, reaching for his sword.

"Hojo," Tifa said, trying not to laugh.

"What's wrong?" Cloud asked. "Why are you laughing?"

Tifa burst into a fit of giggles. "You…. You just have to see him!"

--

The sight did make Cloud grin a little bit. Hojo was laying on a lawnchair in his glasses, labcoat and a pair of polka dot swim trunks. His black boots had been replaced by tan sandals. As if that wasn't enough, two gorgeous "lab assistants" in bikinis were sitting next to him.

"Can't I get a moment around here?" Hojo asked.

"What are you doing here?" Cloud asked.

"Getting a tan, isn't it obvious?" Hojo asked, applying lotion to his stomach.

"You're not gonna call security?" Aeris asked.

"Frankly, my dear, my personal agenda is better off having you continue what you're doing," Hojo explained.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Red snarled.

"All in good time, kitty cat," Hojo explained. "I suppose you have a general bearing, then?"

"Sephiroth is supposedly heading for Nibelheim," Cloud said, not entirely sure whether or not he should have revealed that tidbit of information.

"Right. But are you going to try and cross the Corel Valley River to the west? You would surely drown. There is a longer, but safer journey to the northwest, through Corel Mountain," Hojo grinned.

"Thank you," Cloud said, distantly. "Why are you helping us?"

"I already explained. It's in my better interest that you succeed," Hojo said. "Now please, I'm on vacation."

--

"What do you want?" Heidigger asked.

Tseng had walked into Heidigger's temporary office onboard the cargo ship. It was a squalid little room with buttons and dials everywhere. A desk made of metal parts built right into the ship was a sad sight. Heidigger glanced up at Tseng, who was carrying a handwritten letter.

"What is this nonsense?" Heidigger asked.

"Hojo's… resignation letter it seems," Tseng explained.

Heidigger sat up and spit his tobacco into a nearby spittoon. "The coward. One little whiff of Sephiroth and he goes into hiding."

"Not exactly. He says he needs to conduct some solo research and that he will be out of reach until further notice," Tseng explained.

Heidigger rubbed his mouth. "Let him go. We don't need that freak to hunt down Sephiroth."

"I'm worried he may pose a threat to Shinra's security," Tseng replied.

Heidigger mulled this over for a moment. "Honestly, Tseng, I'm more afraid of Hojo here. He's too eccentric and unreasonable. Acts like he owns the place; comes and goes as he pleases."

Tseng nodded. "Very well, sir."

Tseng began to walk out, and Heidigger stopped him. "Wait a moment."

Tseng turned. "Sir?"

Heidigger rubbed his forehead. "Bring me any files you can find on the Nibelheim incident. This includes Director Lazard's personal files. I don't care if I have the clearance."

Tseng crossed his arms. "Sir, while my allegiance to you is unfaltering, my primary duties are to that of the protection of the president of Shinra. I will need to know exactly why you want those files."

"Are you questioning a direct order?" Heidigger shouted, standing up.

"The enemy has more than once been disguised as one of our own," Tseng said. "You will have to apply for those files like anybody else."

Heidigger sat down, defeated. "Bring me what you can. I am concerned about this Cloud Strife."

--

Reno sat next to Rude on the docks. The nearby crowd of people couldn't help but stare at the two men wearing black suits and ties in sweltering heat.

"Rude, why are we always given these crummy jobs?" Reno asked.

"We're Turks. It comes with the territory," Rude replied.

"Yeah, but this assignment just reeks," Reno grinned. He jumped off the docks and landed next to a man who was fishing. "I mean it just smells fishy."

"What the hell do you want?" The fisherman asked.

"We're enacting a little retribution," Reno said.

"More and more soldiers just keep quitting on us. How can we stay in business if we let guys like you off the hook?" Rude asked.

"We'd rather get arrested by you thugs than risk getting killed by the black-caped man," the fisherman said.

"Arrest you? Now why would we do a thing like that?" Reno asked.

Before the fisherman could move, Rude pulled out a pistol and shot the man in the forehead. The fisherman's corpse fell into the ocean. The nearby soldiers looked on in horror.

"Let that be a lesson to anybody who thinks of deserting," Rude shouted. "It won't be forgiven."

--

Cloud awoke to the sound of thunder. The tiny room was barely lit by the rising sun and a small lamp next to Aeris's bed. Everybody except Barret were fast asleep in their small beds. Barret stood over by the window.

"What's going on?" Cloud asked.

"A northeastern is getting rid of the tourists. Gonna be a nasty storm," Barret said.

"I'm sick of the rain," Cloud sighed. "But I suppose we'll have to hike in it."

"It'll be a bit safer in the mountains," Barret said. "I packed our provisions and supplies. We're ready to move at your command."

--

The rain barely let up as they hiked the nearby mountain ranges of Corel. The tall mountain range was even higher than the mountains near Midgar, and from the peak where they stopped to have lunch, Cloud could see the ocean in three directions.

"We'll be off the peninsula soon, and into the mainland. The path through the central mountain will be tough," Tifa said.

"Why's that?" Yuffie asked, chewing on a piece of bacon.

"Because there's a Mako Reactor in them hills," Barret sighed. "Shinra put it in only a few years ago."

"We may encounter some resistance then," Cloud pondered. "Any way around it?"

"None that I'd traverse. Shinra has a monopoly on safe routes these days," Barret groaned.

"We'll be fine," Aeris said cheerfully. "I mean, Barret mentioned that he was from here, right?"

Barret turned and looked at Aeris in shock. "I never said anything about Corel. How'd you know that?"

Aeris shook her head. "I'm sorry. I…"

Barret turned back and faced the ocean. "Yeah. I'm from here."

The group ate their meal in silence.


	18. Chapter 17: Marlene

Chapter XVII- Marlene

Barret's dreams were uneasy that night. Red could tell by the way he sweat in the cool air, the way he twitched and moaned, and by the way he repeated to himself three names. The first name he knew, Marlene. It was Barret's daughter, or at least that was the understanding.

The second name was Myrna. Red had heard Barret mention her once or twice, but never fully understood the relationship. His guess was that it was Barret's wife.

The third name was Dyne. Red had never heard the name before, from any of them. Barret awoke with a somewhat muffled shout. He looked across the campfire into Red's cat eyes.

"Is it my shift yet?" Barret asked.

"You've an hour yet," Red replied. "Bad dreams?"

Barret drank from his canteen. He was awake now, anyways. "Yeah, you might say that."

"You were dreaming of your daughter and wife," Red inquired.

"How'd you know?" Barret asked.

"You muttered their names several times. And also somebody else," Red decided it would be best not to tug at that thread just yet. "But I couldn't make out his name."

Barret rubbed his head. "I always dream about Marlene. Don't think much about Myrna anymore. I guess being so close to my home reminds me of her."

"So you are from Corel," Red nodded.

"Yeah. Although you shouldn't expect a warm welcome. I'm not exactly on good terms with the town anymore," Barret explained.

Red decided to leave it at that, and curled himself into a ball. "If you don't mind, I'd like to get some sleep."

"Yeah, go ahead," Barret replied.

--

"This is a period of transition for Shinra. You have these kind of things with any exchange of power," Tseng reassured Rufus.

Rufus was sitting in a trailer, which was the first thing to turn his mood sour. Combine that with being stuck in the middle of a makeshift camp of nowhere, and the result is an annoyed official.

"This is no ordinary transition period. Sephiroth's presence is catastrophic for this company. We have soldiers resigning, committing suicide, and deserting their posts. We have idiots assigned to our most basic public offices and a mentally challenged tub of lard in charge of our military. And now you tell me that Hojo has simply vanished with only a vague note," Rufus slammed his fist on the cheap wooden table for dramatic effect.

"Sir, I have ordered my Turks to hunt down and kill any deserters. The message will get across. As for Hojo, it is Heidigger's opinion that Shinra is better off without him," Tseng explained.

"Hojo, while he is a lunatic, is one of the few people left in this company who knows how to do their job. Bring him back to me, alive," Rufus explained. "If we are going to go through with this Neo-Midgar plan, then we'll need both him and that ancient girl."

"Does that mean you intend to go through with your father's plan?" Tseng asked.

"I wasn't at first," Rufus explained. "But the more I think about it, the more I realize. Aeris, Sephiroth, Hojo…they're all after this Promised Land. If Aeris finds it, she won't know what to do with all the power. But I worry that Sephiroth and Hojo might. That power is better off in Shinra's hands."

"I understand," Tseng nodded. "I will have my men find Hojo and Aeris."

"And Sephiroth," Rufus added.

"Sir," Tseng said gravely. "I don't believe that is possible."

--

"There it is," Barret cursed.

The Mt. Corel Reactor was indeed an impressive sight. It was the most recent reactor built, not counting the restoration of the reactors in Midgar. While the others marveled at the sheer size of the beast, Red and Aeris began to tremble.

"I smell blood in the air," Red hissed.

"It's Shinra made," Barret explained. "It practically runs on blood."

"He's not being metaphorical," Aeris put her hand out. "People have died here."

Yuffie looked down into the catwalks of the reactor. "Oh my god." She jumped up to a higher ledge and looked down into the reactor. "Somebody got here before us."

"Three guesses on who it was," Cloud said, walking down the stairwell. He saw, lying before him, an entire platoon of dead soldiers, all killed by the blade. "Come on! I don't want to linger in this place."

--

The town of Corel wasn't so much a town as a makeshift mass of garbage and wreckage. Tifa couldn't shake the feeling in her gut. This place reminded her too much of the slums. As Barret predicted, the welcome was anything but warm.

"What are you doing back here?" One man muttered.

"You're not welcome here," said another as a small crowd gathered around him.

"We're just passing through," Cloud said, raising his sword.

"Cool it, Cloud," Barret sighed. He walked up to one of the men. "I'm sorry."

The man's only response was to deliver a sucker punch to Barret's jaw. "You're pathetic."

Cloud had seen Barret beat other men senseless for less, but he just stood there with his head hung low. Cloud walked down the road, and the others followed him nervously.

"It's a bad season," Yuffie said. "We'll never make it across the desert."

"What do you mean?" Cloud asked.

"She means that this is a rough period for Corel Desert. In the summer, sandstorms kick up and makes passage impossible," Red explained.

Cloud rubbed his forehead. "So what? We just wait around here until the fall?"

Yuffie got a silly little grin, and chimed. "Well, we could stay one place."

"Isn't Gold Saucer near here?" Red asked.

"No way. Shinra runs that theme park," Cloud said.

"Which is exactly why Sephiroth would head there," Tifa said, joining the crowd.

Cloud rubbed his head. He thought the break in Costa De Sol was enough for them, but apparently the group still wanted to have some fun. Part of him worried that he was the only one taking this mission seriously, but he relented when he realized that he was asking a lot from them already.

"Fine. We'll take the tram," Cloud sighed.

--

Elmyra set the table. It would be a meager meal, even for just herself and the little girl. A small bowl of soup, some toast and cheese. Ever since Shinra left, food in the slums had grown scarce. Though she hated Shinra, she had to admit that the stern watchful eye of their ruthless army kept crime down.

"Dinner's ready Marlene!" Elmyra shouted.

She heard Marlene's small but rapid footsteps clunking down the stairs. It had been a while since her and Aeris had been able to enjoy such a peaceful domestic scene, and as the days passed, it seemed less likely that they would ever again.

Marlene sat down, obediently, and waited for the strange woman she'd been left with to give her food. It's not that Marlene and Elmyra hadn't bonded, but nothing could replace her father in Marlene's mind.

"So, are you ready to eat?" Elmyra asked.

Marlene nodded, but didn't say a word. Elmyra knew how shy the girl was even now. It would take a while before she would feel comfortable. Elmyra herself no longer felt safe anywhere.

--

The Pub in Costa De Sol was world renowned for two things: the booze and the women. At the moment, the Turks were enjoying the site of both.

"This is getting out of control," Reno sighed as he rested his hand on the lip of a beer bottle.

"Maybe you should stop drinking," Elena suggested.

Reno gestured emphatically. "That's not what I'm referring to little miss. I meant these desertions, and the general disquiet throughout the military."

"What bugs me is that we've tracked down and dealt with at least 200 of them, but there are about 40 who just plain disappeared," Rude noted.

"True. It's been a busy week for Shinra. The Tower gets attacked, we have the little skirmish at Fort Condor and now Avalanche apparently hitched a ride on one of our ships to get here." Tseng thought.

Reno, despite his inebriation, noticed Tseng's trademark face of concern. He was, no doubt, pondering the significance of these events. Reno gazed over to Elena, who was eyeing a waitress.

"I'll give you my next paycheck if you kiss her full on the mouth," Reno said.

Elena scoffed, not even surprised by this incredibly dense act of his. She had, sadly, gotten used to the fact that all three of direct superiors were drunken slobs of men, with the exception of Tseng who actually seemed decent at times.

"I can't believe the women here parade around in next to nothing. It's horrible," Elena cursed.

"You're acting awfully high and mighty for a girl who used to patrol the streets of Junon looking for a good time," Reno pointed out.

It was true that Elena's past had been less than honorable. She had gotten into drugs and a lot worse in her younger years. However, that was the past. She was a sophisticated woman now, and above all else a professional.

"'Used to' being the operative verb in that sentence. What about you, Reno? You sleep with a different woman every night," Elena retorted, crossing her arms.

Reno looked back at the waitress who was talking to one of her friends and casting occasional glances back in his direction. He raised his bottle to them, and they giggled. "With any luck it will be two women tonight," Reno replied.

Elena cursed at the world where a promiscuous man was revered and a promiscuous woman was called a slut.

Tseng came out of his pondering coma and snatched a pen out from his breast pocket. He grabbed a napkin and began to write down a series of numbers on the damp sheet.

"Trying to determine the bill?" Rude asked.

"Quiet one moment," Tseng ordered.

He continued to scratch these figures down and finally stared at his masterpiece with renewed concern. Reno leaned over the table and tilted his head trying to grasp what on earth could possibly be so enthralling. He almost collapsed under the effort, but recognized the scribbles as serial numbers.

"I'm guessing these are the serial numbers of the guys we never found," Reno asked.

Tseng nodded. "Yeah. That's what's bugging me. I've seen these before in a report that Hojo filed."

Suddenly the doors to the pub opened, and in walked Hojo, tanned and partly inebriated.

"'The most profound mystery is the Gift of the Goddess and in pursuit of this gift we set on a journey and take flight.'"

Tseng walked over the Hojo and grabbed him by the collar. "Back from our little vacation are we?"

"With answers, no less," Hojo smiled grimly.

"And quotes from Loveless. I assume that means something," Tseng released Hojo.

"Yes," Hojo began. "It does."

--

Aeris leaned against the railing of the risen platform. The tram system that was set up between Gold Saucer and Corel was amazing. The platform lay embedded in the mountain itself, and was only accessible via a rough series of switchbacks which made poor Barret (who was carrying the backpack) suffer from sore joints. He didn't complain though, and the trip had been a silent one.

"Say, Barret?" Aeris asked. "What happened here?"

It almost amazed Cloud to hear that, but he was surprised that nobody had asked. Barret kept his concerns private. When he wanted to say something he said it, otherwise it was nobody's concern but his.

Barret shook his head. "It was Shinra. Couple years ago, they told us they was gonna put a Mako Reactor in the mountains up there. The whole town went along with the idea, except for my friend, Dyne. In retrospect, if we listened to Dyne things woulda been a whole lot better, but… my foolish ass started the whole trend and everybody trusted me, even Dyne. He caved and the reactor was built. Dyne, he was married to a beautiful woman named Eleanor. They had a daughter named Marlene."

The group took a moment to ponder the significance of _this _revelation.

"One day the Shinra come in and burn the town to the ground, claiming there was an attack on the reactor. Everybody died, Eleanor, my wife Myrna, the town elder… everybody. Except that little girl. Dyne and me got chased through the mountains. Dyne… he fell over the edge. I grabbed onto him with my right arm, he held on with his left. That woman… Scarlet. She fires a round clean through both of our hands. I managed to hide out for a while and saw Marlene huddled in a corner next to her dead mama. I picked her up with my one good hand and took her to Cosmo Canyon. That's where I met them, you know. Biggs, Wedge and Jesse. We moved to Midgar shortly after and that's how I ended up in Sector 7."

There was no comment. Nobody knew what to say. Tifa just walked up and hugged him, and shortly afterwards, the tram pulled into the station.


	19. Chapter 18: Cait Sith

Chapter XVIII- Cait Sith

The tram was a marvel of engineering. It connected the small platform in the mountains to the massive structure in the center of the desert that was Gold Saucer. Due to its incredible weight, one would think that it would require several support pylons just to stay airborne, but somehow the line between Gold Saucer and the Station Platform remained taut enough to support the tram without the need of these towers. Furthermore, since the tram was electrically powered, there was no need to worry about it breaking down mid-way. Even in the case of a power failure on the lines, it had a backup battery which allowed it to finish its current trip before needing repairs.

The only downside to this system was that there was only one tram, which meant lines going in and out during the open season were generally cramped. Of course, it was the off-season now, but the Gold Saucer was open year round.

Yuffie seemed to know a surprising amount about the Gold Saucer. She explained that she had once been taken their as a birthday present from her father, although she did not go into more detail.

She described to the group the many wonders that awaited them in Gold Saucer. There were eight platforms that were connected to one massive golden pillar.

The Station Square, which was their first stop, was where tickets were purchased and where the tram let off.

The Wonder Square, where Yuffie boasted an unashamed amount of time loitering, was a massive arcade and shopping center.

The Event Square was a large theatre where plays and pageants were held.

The Ghost Square was a haunted house and hotel, which Yuffie said gave her nightmares because of the realism.

The Chocobo Square was a place where chocobo races were held and gambled upon. Yuffie laughed a little before explaining that her stupid father lost a large sum of money there.

The Battle Square was a massive arena where warriors could test their skills against monsters that had been bred in captivity.

The Round Square was a gondola ride that went by all of the squares, and Yuffie proudly said that it would be her first stop.

The only square that Yuffie didn't seem to speak too highly of was the Speed Square. From what Cloud and the others gathered, it appeared to be a roller coaster, except it also served as a virtual reality shooter.

"Oh," said Aeris. "You wouldn't like that cause of your motion sickness."

"Yeah," sighed Yuffie. "That's where I found out I had motion sickness. I went on it one time, thinking it would be fun… and…"

Yuffie realized how weak she was sounding and stiffened up, not wanting to sacrifice any more of her dignity. "Anyways, the guy who built the place is named Dio. He's supposedly this really tough body-builder who's fought in wars around the world."

"I've heard of his collection of treasures," Red commented. "Although nobody seems the mention that he acquired these precious items by looting ransacked cities." 

"And you forgot the worst thing," Barret said gruffly. "He's got his hand so deep in Shinra's pocket you can't tell where one ends and the other begins."

"I mean, I don't really see the problem with making money," Tifa added. "Especially off of something that brings so much joy to people, but I sure hope he doesn't take notice of us."

"That would be problematic, especially since there is only way out of Gold Saucer," Cloud added. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

"Relax," Aeris said. "We'll keep a low profile. You're good at that. Aren't you, Cloud?"

Cloud scoffed as vivid memories of his cross-dressing experience back in Wall Market came haunting.

---

Station Square was decorated in the traditional lights and balloons that were expected of multi-million gil theme parks. Colorful characters dressed in costumes of moogles and chocobos were wandering around handing out gifts in exchange for small sums of gil and gold coins that were marked with the gold saucer logo on one side (a large tree structure that was the inspiration for the design), and the letters "GP" on the other.

"Those are Gold Points, more commonly referred to as GP," Yuffie said. "It's basically money for use inside the park. You can buy them off scalpers, but the official way to earn them is at the Chocobo Races and Wonder Square."

"Jeez, I wonder what a Shinra-run theme park does to scalpers," Tifa pondered.

"Probably encourages them," Cloud said. "They work for Shinra, no doubt. But then Shinra doesn't want to appear to be in league with people so questionable."

"Then how do you explain the Turks?" Aeris asked.

"You must remember, to the majority of citizens within Midgar, the Turks official function is Weapons Development and Research," Cloud replied.

The woman waiting for them at the end of the massive line was a pretty young blonde who couldn't have been much older than Yuffie. She was wearing a green uniform with gold stripes.

"Welcome to Gold Saucer!" She said with a PR smile. "Would you like a one-time ticket or our lifetime Gold Pass?"

"What do the prices look like?" Cloud asked.

"The Gold Pass allows you free access into and out of the park, as well as access to certain special discounts for Gold Members. Its cost is 30,000 gil for a party of up to ten members."

Cloud chuckled. "I think we'll be taking the one-time pass."

"Okay. That's good for one trip, and becomes invalid once you hand it over to the tram driver for your ride back. If you lose it, then come over to this desk and we'll take care of it for you," the girl lowered her voice, as though dropping the Customer Service act and getting realistic, "although trust me it's better if you don't lose it."

She readjusted her glasses and continued in the PR tone once more. "The cost for a party of your size is… let's see. 3,000 gil."

Cloud groaned a little, but it was barely audible. He pulled out his wallet and observed the combination of paper notes and small coins that he had on hand.

"Excuse me," he said, turning to face the others. "I only have 1,345 gil. What about the rest of you?"

"I only have 200," Tifa said.

"I have like 12," Aeris replied.

"I lost my wallet during the Shinra Tower raid, remember?" Barret asked.

"And I was released from captivity by you all. I have no money. Besides which, where would I put it?" Red asked.

But Yuffie grinned. "I've got it covered, Cloud."

And she pulled out her purse which had easily 5,000 gil in it. The group eyed her suspiciously, and (feeling self-concious) she stammered.

"I… I didn't steal it. When were at Costa Del Sol," she turned to Tifa with a hint of self-righteousness. "While some of us were getting a tan," she turned back to face the group in general. "I was working at a materia store. I figured it'd be nice to have a little spending money for the trip."

"She's telling the truth," Aeris said. "She earned the money honestly. Although while the owner's back was turned she snatched some materia orbs for herself."

Yuffie blushed crimson and continued to stammer. "H-hey! We're on a mission to save the world. We need it more than he does!"

"I suppose that's okay," Tifa shrugged. "It's not like we're going to make you march back there and return it, young lady. But do you mind sharing those orbs with us?"

"Get your own!" Yuffie snapped, as she proceeded to pay for the tickets that got the group into Gold Saucer.

---

They entered a large round room with several tubes, highlighted with the names of the Squares that they led to.

"I forgot the best part!" Yuffie cried in half-amazement, as though she had clearly been saving the best for last. "These tubes are the latest in anti-grav slides. Going down, gravity does the work, going up they suck you up like a vacuum cleaner. That means even traveling is fun!"

"Anti-grav slides?" Tifa asked.

"It was all theory until Shinra funded it," Cloud shrugged. "I guess deep, deep down, the former president had the heart of a child."

"Yeah, but my dad said when he first came here, they used elevators," Yuffie said. She then made a weird face, as though trying to decide whether this memory was happy or unpleasant.

Tifa decided to change the subject. "So what do you all want to do first."

"We're supposed to be looking for Sephiroth."

Everybody turned to Cloud, but it wasn't he who had spoken. Barret marched out in front of the group and scoffed. "You know, you all can have a vacation if you want, but we still got a job to do."

He then jumped into the slide that said "Battle Square".

"Jeez. I guess he's still pretty mad huh," Aeris sighed.

"About what?" Cloud asked.

"Cloud, you dolt!" Tifa scolded. "Were you not there for the whole Corel story?"

"Oh. Yeah, I wasn't thinking," Cloud sighed.

"But enough of that, where do you want to take me?" Tifa asked.

Cloud stammered, and Yuffie saw a shadow of jealousy fade across Aeris's features.

"Um.. well I don't know. I guess I was gonna go to the Battle Arena, but if Barret went there to blow off some steam then…" Cloud was trying to think what he wanted to do. "I guess I'd like to try out that roller coaster. It sounds kinda fun."

"I'm going to go to the Chocobo races," Red said. "I'm getting a little hungry."

Yuffie smiled broadly. "My word, Red. Did you just make a joke?"

Red flashed in fangs in what was almost a smile, but it didn't really answer Yuffie's question. He then leapt head first into the tunnel.

"I'm gonna go make sure Red doesn't kill the poor birdies," Yuffie said leaping after him.

"I'll go to the hotel then," Aeris said. "I'm a little tired from the mountain trek. I'll reserve our room, okay?"

Cloud nodded, and as Tifa grabbed Cloud's arm, he thought he saw the same mask of jealously, with a hint of sorrow.

---

The roller coaster ride was actually fun. The way it worked was you were strapped into a fully enclosed car that went along an actual roller coaster track. But instead of the relatively boring exterior view, there were screens in front of each person and joysticks controlling two cannons, which appeared on the screen in front of them.

It combined the thrill of a roller coaster with the thrill of combat (even though it was simulated). Cloud had to admit that he had a lot of fun. When the car got back to the station, the man behind the counter stood waiting for him in amazement.

"That was the best run I've ever seen!" He smiled. "You broke all the top scores! You must be some kind of a legendary gamer!"

"Nonsense," came a deep booming voice. Leaning against the opposite wall was a tall, overly muscular man wearing black jeans and a grey tanktop.

"Oh, excuse me Sir. I didn't realize you were here," the man bowed apologetically and returned to his station.

"Don't worry about it son," he smiled. He then turned to Cloud and extended his hand. Cloud was strong enough, but he still felt as though this man's handshake might break his arm. "The name is Dio. I own and operate this theme park."

"The name is… Zack," Cloud said without thinking.

Tifa let out a small gasp, but tried to pass it off as coughing. Cloud made a mental note to ask her about it later.

"Zack, huh? With shooting skills like that I'd have pegged you for SOLDIER, and by the looks of the uniform, I'd be right," Dio said as he examined the somewhat weather-trodden uniform. "1st Class, unless I'm mistaken."

"I'm retired," Cloud said. "Excuse us."

Cloud grabbed Tifa's arm and they made to leave, but Dio stopped them cold with his next sentence.

"If you're looking for that black-caped man," he began. "He's gone. Left for Gongaga about an hour ago. Kept asking me about Black Materia, whatever that is."

Cloud didn't turn, but instead he continued to stride out at a quickened pace.

"They know about us," he whispered to Tifa.

"Really? I didn't catch that," hissed Tifa.

"We need to find the others and get out of here," Cloud said. "But first, let's give these boys the slip."

And with that, he dragged Tifa into the tunnel marked "Wonder Square."

---

Wonder Square lived up to its name. As Cloud and Tifa emerged and saw the sparkling lights and the multi-tiered platforms filled with arcade games and novelty stores, they took a moment to take it all in.

"Come on. Nobody came here. Barret was at the arena, Aeris is at the hotel and the others are watching the chocobo races," Cloud said.

"Good evening, lovebirds," came a high pitched voice.

Cloud and Tifa turned to their right to see a small cat wearing a crown and cape, holding a megaphone. What truly astounded them was the fact that he was riding on top of a massive stuffed doll of a moogle.

"Sorry, we're not buying anything," said Cloud with a snap.

"Well that's good, because I'm not selling anything," the cat smiled. "Just a chance to see your fortune revealed before your very eyes."

"I'm sorry," Tifa said. "But we really don't have the time."

"I'll tell you what. You don't believe me, that's it!" the cat laughed. He patted his moogle's head. "The lassie doesn't believe in enlightened guidance by the stars! Well I'll prove it to ye! The first one's on the house!"

And suddenly the cat began to dance a strange, mystical looking dance, and a small green light surrounded him. Suddenly a piece of paper appeared out of nowhere and floated into the cat's hand.

"Amazing!" Tifa laughed.

"Parlor trick," Cloud scoffed.

"That's a pretty sharp tongue, lad," the cat chuckled. "Let's see how you fair against this!" The cat glanced over the message once, scratched his head, and then began to read:

"Okay. It says here that something big will happen in summer. Your favorite color is blue."

"Well, I don't know about the summer, but my favorite color is actually green," Cloud replied.

"But my favorite color is blue!" Tifa shouted. "It's the same color as… your eyes." Tifa blushed. "But… uh the fortune might be for me. But then… I don't see how anything big could happen in the summer."

"That was just a practice run, my dear lass!" The cat said. "The next one for sure!"

The same dance, and the same light, ending with the same dramatic catching of the paper. The cat glanced over it, scratched his head (this time with his tail) and began to read.

"Uh… okay. It says beware relations bearing strange packages and your lucky number is 2," the cat shrugged.

"It's a show," Cloud sighed. "Can we go now?"

"No, please lad. Give us one more chance?" The cat whined. And with that the cat went into another dance.

This time, however, the green light turned crimson red, and the cat shrieked as though the light were fire burning his fur. A piece of paper did emerge, but it was golden at the edges, and was far neater than the other two, which now lay crumbled at the foot of the moogle.

The cat read the paper aloud, without bothering to read it to himself first. "What you seek will be yours, but you will lose something dear to you."

Cloud did not seem any more impressed at that reading, but he did flinch a little bit at the end. The cat did not seem to be standing on ceremony anymore.

"My word, that wasn't right," he said to himself. "I've been doing fortune telling for nigh unto three years now and this is the first time I've ever had that happen! Honest!"

Cloud scoffed. "We're so happy for you. But we're leaving now."

"And I'm coming with you!" The cat announced.

"What?!" Tifa asked.

The cat chuckled. "Well you can't do that to me lassie. First time in my whole life I get an interesting sounding reading and you expect me not to tag along and see how it turns out. It's like taking a book away from somebody when they get to the last chapter. I'm traveling with you lot, whether you like it or not!"

"Okay, whatever," Cloud shrugged. "Just so you know we're on the run from Shinra, if you want to get mixed up in that."

"Ha! You're fighting those Shinra goons! I love you already. The name's Cait Sith!" And with a final triumphant tone he added. "So, where are we going?"


	20. Chapter 19: Dyne

Chapter XIX- Dyne

Cloud, Tifa and Cait Sith entered the pipe labeled Chocobo. The entire square was one massive gambling hall. Cloud could barely hear himself think over the chattering. Maneuvering his way through the crowd, he saw Yuffie and Red XIII standing in front of a counter. Yuffie was apparently placing a bet.

"Yuffie!" Cloud shouted.

Yuffie didn't hear him and handed over a hundred gil note to the bookkeeper. Cloud ran up to Yuffie and grabbed her arm.

"We have to go!" Cloud ordered.

"What's going on?" Yuffie hissed. "I just placed a bet!"

"Shinra knows we're here. We have to go now!" Tifa explained.

Yuffie's eyes grew wide with sudden understanding and she nodded intently. Red had already walked over to Cait Sith and was eyeing him in his usual piercing manner.

"Who is this?" Red snarled. "Friend or foe?"

"Neither, a tag-along," Cait Sith remarked calmly. "The name is Cait Sith. I'll tell you all about me, but now isn't the time."

Yuffie seemed to agree as she suddenly took the lead heading for the slide tubes. She jumped into the one labeled Station and was thrown back out. All Cloud could see over the crowd was Yuffie flying back out. He heard two female voices groan in pain.

As they caught up with her, they saw Aeris laying on top of a moaning Yuffie.

"Damn it!" Yuffie cursed.

"What's going on?" Aeris asked as she slowly got up.

"A lot!" Cloud shouted, offering his arm to Aeris. He had learned not to offer Yuffie any help. Yuffie leapt up with some hidden store of energy and began heading over to the tube slide.

"Wrong one," Cloud shouted. "We still need to grab Barret. He's over at the Battle Arena."

---

The arena lobby was a mess. Upon arriving at the square, the first thing that caught Cloud's attention was the too-familiar smell of blood. Aeris gasped and Yuffie shrieked. Even Red let a hissing sound escape his lips.

The floor was covered in dead bodies.

"C-Could this be the work of Sephiroth?" Yuffie asked.

Cloud observed the bodies with diligence. "No way. These are bullet wounds. Sephiroth would never use a gun."

A woman crawled out of from behind one of the counters. She had a bullet wound in her left arm and was breathing heavily, but she seemed to be relatively okay.

"A man…" she trembled. "A man with a gun on his arm…"

She stood up and ran towards a room off to the side.

"A gun on his arm?" Tifa asked. "Cloud it can't be!"

"There's no way Barret would do this!" Aeris shouted.

"He's been pissed the whole trip," Yuffie observed. "Maybe he lost it."

"Shut up!" Tifa shouted.

"We have company" Red said glancing over his shoulder.

From the doors where the woman fled came the familiar bodybuilder. He was now escorted by two mechanical security devices that flanked him on either side.

"I'm impressed kid. Not a lot of punks would have the balls to come into the my establishment and attack my employees and clients," Dio said sharply. "But it's the end of the line for you."

"This wasn't us!" Aeris shouted.

"Save it!" Dio shouted. "You're all under arrest."

With those words, the security bots sprung to life. They were instantly joined by four others, which now surrounded the party.

"Run!" Cait Sith shouted as he broke through the circle and ran into the arena. "Hurry up!"

Cloud and the others had no time to think, so they followed his instructions and broke past the machines into the arena. The dimly lit dungeon setting greeted them less than warmly, and to their horror, Cait Sith was staring down two other security bots.

"Shows over!" Boomed the voice of Dio. "Guess what we do to prisoners here!"

And with that, the floor they were standing on began to split apart. The doors locked shut and the walls began to move closer together.

Yuffie was the first to fall through the opening chasm. Cloud reached out desperately to grab her, but it was too late. She fell down, but thudded against what sounded like a slide.

_She's okay, _Cloud thought.

Cait Sith was next, then Red (who couldn't stand on his tip toes exactly). Aeris tried valiantly to cling to the edge but the moving walls pushed her back. Tifa was next in line. Finally physics overcame Cloud's dexterity and he fell into the hole, landed on a metal slide which sent him rocketing down to the bottom of the Gold Saucer. He landed on a large patch of dirt and everything went blank.

---

Cloud awoke with sunlight burning his eyes. He tried to look away but the sun's light followed him no matter where he looked. Convinced he would not find a clear spot, he gradually opened his eyes and saw that he was in the middle of a desert.

"Back here," came a voice.

Cloud looked behind him and saw Cait Sith sitting on his moogle, which was fast asleep. His other comrades were laying in masses on the ground.

"Don't worry. They're okay. I imagine they'll wake up from the heat soon enough," Cait Sith explained, catching Cloud's concerned glances.

"Where are we?" Cloud asked.

"The Corel Prison," Cait Sith said. "It's the desert at the base of Gold Saucer. Quicksand pits make this desert impossible to traverse more than a few miles away from the base. The other 'inmates' have set up a junk town over yonder."

Cait Sith pointed to a town of rusted shacks and junk heaps, which reminded Cloud of the slums.

"I'd rather not go there," Cloud said.

"Eh, most of 'em are harmless. Of course the heat makes people crazy." Cait Sith said. "We'll need to go talk to the Overseer if we want to get back up there."

"Somehow I doubt that'll turn out well for us," Cloud sighed.

Red stirred, and leapt up, hissing and clawing instinctively at the sand where he had laid moments ago.

"Too hot," Red growled. "What's going on?"

Cloud sighed. "We're stuck in a desert."

---

The other party members eventually awoke, and thirst had forced them to go into town. To their great relief there were multiple wells, and they each took a sip of water using the gourds that rested on the stone surfaces.

"You all new in town?" Asked one burly looking man. "These wells are run by me. If you wanna drink, you gotta pay up. 20 gil a sip."

Cloud was in no mood for restraint. He tossed the man his wallet and bowed slightly. "Thank you much for the water. Here's a little bonus." Cloud rushed in and punched the man in the face, knocking him out instantly. He took his wallet back and noticed the other inmates begin to distance themselves from the group.

"I think you just took out the alpha male," Red noted.

"Not too hard," Cloud replied. "Hey! Any of you lowlifes see a man with a gun on his arm come by here?"

The other inmates began to murmur excitedly.

"You must be talkin' about Dyne," said one man. "He's the boss around here, but he's been gone for days."

Something was bugging Cloud. "Dyne? Where do I know that name?"

"He was the one from Barret's story! The man who was trying to prevent Shinra from building the reactor in Corel!" Tifa recalled.

"Barret?" Asked another inmate. "Big dark fellow? Gun on his arm too. He went out into the desert a few hours ago."

"Well we'd better go find him," Cloud replied tersely. "Which way did he head off to?"

The inmate pointed to a lone cliff about a mile away. Cloud nodded, and the party began walking.

---

The trek across the desert was painful. The mile seemed to stretch on for an eternity and each time they stopped it took them ten minutes before they moved again. They finally made it to the large junk heap surrounding the cliff.

"This must be _their _dump," Yuffie said covering her nose.

"Quiet!" Cloud ordered.

He heard two voices talking. One was deep enough to be Barret's and the other was occasionally stopping to laugh in a manner that Cloud had only heard one previous example of.

They rounded a corner and saw Barret staring down a man with a black vest, a purple bandana and a gun on his left arm.

"Why did you do it Dyne?!" Barret shouted. "I never thought I'd see you again! I stroll into an arena and see you killing innocents! What the hell has gotten into you?"

"I wanted them all dead!" Dyne shouted back. "You lost Myrna! I lost Eleanor! I don't care about anything anymore!"

"Dyne calm down! Things aren't as bad as you think!" Barret shouted.

"Aren't they?! It's always been Shinra. They just take and take and take! I've lost everything. The only thing I can trust anymore is this." Dyne rubbed his hand along the edge of his gunarm. "I'm going to end it all. I will watch this world burn to cinders!"

"How does that make you any better than Shinra?!" Barret cursed.

"It doesn't." Dyne concurred. "But if I am going to live with these hellish nightmares then everybody is coming along for the ride. I want to kill the people of the city… the city itself. I want everything to die!"

"Enough of this!" Shouted Cloud.

Barret turned, but didn't think twice about his presence. "Cloud, stay back. This is between Dyne and me."

Dyne fired a round at Barret, who leapt behind a pile of trash. Cloud rushed back to where the others were hiding.

"I was always the better shot," Dyne taunted. "You can't win!"

"Damn it, Dyne!" Barret cursed.

Barret leapt out from behind the pile and shot at Dyne. Cloud was astonished to see Barret miss, but he knew why he had.

"He's aiming low. He just wants to disable Dyne," Cloud observed.

Dyne laughed louder and took the open shot, nailing Barret's left arm.

"Shit!" Barret cursed hiding back behind the trash. Barret crept around the other side and began to fire blindly. He heard Dyne curse and chanced a look to see Dyne clutching his left ankle in pain.

Barret rushed up aiming his head at Dyne. "Stop this Dyne!"

Dyne rolled backwards and Barret looked down to see that Dyne had planted a charge on the ground. He dived out of the way as the small metal disks exploded.

"Damn it!" Barret cursed, clutching at his back. His shirt and vest were torn and his back was covered in bleeding shrapnel wounds.

"Oh Barret," Tifa said covering her eyes.

Dyne prepared to take advantage of this situation. He aimed at Barret and said in a cold voice: "Turn, Barret. Turn so that I can see you die."

Barret rubbed his eyes with his good hand. Cloud couldn't tell if he was crying or just sweating, but Barret's trembling voice revealed the answer. "Damn it, Dyne."

Barret turned in a lighting quick movement and fired a round straight into Dyne's chest. Dyne was knocked back onto the ground and Barret collapsed. Cloud rushed over to Barret, who finally accepted his help.

Barret, using Cloud's arm, walked over to Dyne, who was still breathing.

"Dyne!" Barret shouted, bending low over his old comrade.

"I lost everything Barret," Dyne said. "Eleanor, Marlene…"

"Marlene is still alive!" Barret cried. "I saved her. I took her to Midgar."

"Marlene… she's four now isn't she?" Dyne asked.

"Yeah Dyne. Come on. We'll go back to Midgar. We'll go see her together,' Barret pleaded.

"My hands are too bloodstained to see my daughter. What would Eleanor think of me?" Dyne thought as he slowly stood up and hobbled to the cliffs edge.

"Dyne!" Barret shouted. "What are you doing?"

"Please, Barret. Look after Marlene," Dyne said.

"No, wait!" Barret shouted. But it was too late. Dyne had leapt over the edge of the cliff and into oblivion.

No scream escaped Barrets lips, no moaning or crying. Just a question he asked softly to himself. "What makes you think my hands are any less bloodstained than yours?"


	21. Chapter 20: Zack

Chapter XX- Zack

The Overseer was a man by the name of Mr. Coates. He was a stocky looking man, and based on his formal appearance he was clearly not another inmate.

"What's all this about?" Mr. Coates asked, as the group barged into his shack.

"We want up!" Yuffie shouted.

Cloud put his hand on her shoulder and nodded at Mr. Coates.

"I get that a lot," Mr. Coates replied coldly. "The only way out of here is by winning the Chocobo races up at Gold Saucer. I don't see any of you with a chocobo."

"Listen buddy," Barret said slamming his gunarm on Coate's desk. "We're getting up there one way or another."

"My, you draw quite a crowd, Coates," came a bubbly voice.

Cloud glanced over to an elevator behind Mr. Coate's desk. Out of it stepped a woman in a long yellow dress. She had red hair and an intriguing smile on her face.

"Ms. Ester. Good to see you again," Mr. Coates chuckled warmly. "It's been almost a month since we last spoke."

Ester directed her gaze past Mr. Coates to Cloud. "So you were the ones who wrongly imprisoned, huh?"

"What now?" Tifa asked.

"Dio was a bit hasty," Ester said calmly. "He reviewed the security tapes and turns out you all were just at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Oh that's good, we didn't know that," Cloud replied coolly.

"Hey now, I'm trying to help you. Where is that other man with the gunarm? Dyne?" Ester asked.

Barret averted his gaze and Cloud answered for him. "He's dead."

Mr. Coates' fingers clenched the end of his desk. "Dead? You killed Dyne?"

"No. He sorta… killed himself," Aeris tried to explain.

"Well, that complicates matters a little bit. You see, Dio can't pardon you off hand. It's against regulations," Ester explained.

"So we're stuck here even though we didn't commit the crime?" Tifa shouted.

"Not exactly. Normally prisoners try their luck in the chocobo races and if they win, they earn a pardon. One rider-one pardon. That's the way it's always worked. And furthermore the prisoners have to pay for their own chocobo," Ester said. She held up her hand as Cloud prepared to interrupt her. "Now in this special case, Dio has agreed to let one rider race for all of you and he will be providing you a chocobo. All you need is a competent rider."

Everybody looked at Cloud.

"Hey," Cloud protested. "I wasn't a chocobo knight. What makes you think I'd be the best rider."

"Well, we've all ridden chocobos before. But you're the toughest guy here," Tifa said. She glanced sideways at Barret. "Well not counting him, but he's pretty big and speed really counts here."

"I could ride her for you," Cait Sith said waving his paw. "I'm clearly the lightest one here."

"Yeah but you'd have no control over the giant bird," Yuffie laughed. "And count me out. I'm allergic to chocobo down."

Cloud shrugged. "Fine. I guess I'm the entrant then."

"Excellent," Ester clapped her hands together. "Follow me please."

---

The elevator took Ester and Cloud straight up the center of Gold Saucer to the Chocobo Jockey's locker room. There was an oddly shaped table in the center with postmodern chairs all around it.

"My word Ester," came a rough sounding voice. "You are just as pretty as the day we first met."

Cloud glanced at the man sitting at the table. He wore a thick black cowboy hat and had a bandana around his neck.

"Hey Joe. How is Teioh doing?" Ester asked.

"She is ready win, as usual," Joe nodded. "Who's the desert rat?"

"This is Cloud. He's getting a pardon today," Ester said a little more sternly than Cloud would have expected from this mans friend.

"Heh. If he can beat me. I don't take it easy on nobody," Joe said looking Cloud up and down. "But your boy looks in good condition. Maybe he'll end up winning this thing."

Joe gave a laugh that sounded only slightly derisive and extended his hand warmly. "The name is Joe. Pleasure to meet you Cloud."

"I'm not so sure the feeling is mutual," Cloud replied. "My freedom depends on you taking a dive by the way you're talking."

"I am good at the sport. One of the best, but that doesn't mean I can't be beat," Joe replied.

There was a trumpet fanfare and a loud voice came over the speaker. "Jockeys to their positions for Race #4!"

"Oh that's the one!" Ester gasped. "Good luck!"

---

Cloud's chocobo was much brighter yellow than the wild ones he had seen. His opponents had chocobos of all colors and Joe's chocobo Teioh was pitch black. The thickness of the feathers made Cloud realize that these birds had been painted.

"Jockey's on your mark!" Called the voice of Ester.

Cloud clenched the reins of his bird tightly.

"Get set!"

A single bead of sweat dropped from his forehead. He glanced beside him to see Joe staring dead ahead. This was a man who was clearly a professional. Cloud could see his mind at work. Planning for every possible scenario, finding the openings, strategizing. He would be a tough person to beat.

"Go!"

Joe was ahead of him in a flash. Cloud's bird was a tad slow to start, but it soon fought its way to second place. A mosh pit of birds and jockeys each wrestling for position in the comparatively narrow track that rolled around the Gold Saucer.

Before Cloud knew what was going on the track began to spiral upwards towards a bridge. Joe still had a decent lead, but the other four jockeys were trailing behind. Ester had picked a good bird, but it wasn't going to do him any good.

Joe crossed the bridge, and fifteen seconds later Cloud did as well. He saw the finish line just around the bend and cursed his luck. Joe was going to make it there before he did. Suddenly, Cloud's chocobo bursted forward, running at least twice as fast as it had before. It sprinted past Joe's bird and skidded to a halt at the finish line, sending Cloud flipping forward off the bird.

It was not the most graceful victory, but Cloud had won.

---

As part of his victory package, which aside from his pardon included a small sum of gil and a Gold Pass to Gold Saucer, Dio threw in his sincerest apologies in the form of a large, red, unsightly looking dune buggy. The massive machine fit the entire group comfortably.

"Where to now?" Aeris asked.

"Gongaga, to the southwest," Cloud replied. "Dio mentioned that Sephiroth was headed in this direction."

The buggy proved its worth immediately. The bridge that had once led across the river to Gongaga had been destroyed.

_Probably by Sephiroth,_ Cloud thought as he steered the machine across the river.

---

The city of Gongaga was a jungle town. A small village of bamboo huts, and far in the distance, in an area that had been turned into a barren wasteland, a massive reactor that had been destroyed.

"What could Sephiroth want here?" Cloud asked.

"Maybe he went to the reactor?" Red suggested.

Aeris seemed unusually distant, and Tifa did as well. Cloud walked over to Tifa. "Tifa, by the way. When I used the name Zack as an alias you sort of… well…"

"Zack is…" Tifa glanced at Aeris who was now looking at her with unprecedented interest. "He's just somebody I knew a while back. He actually lived right here in Gongaga."

"Zack. He was actually in SOLDIER," Aeris continued.

"What, you knew him too?" Cloud asked.

"Remember back in Midgar when I told you about my boyfriend. His name was Zack," Aeris explained.

Cloud nodded. "Oh, I see. What did he look like? Maybe I knew him."

"Long black hair, kinda spikey like yours," Aeris explained. "He was a 1st Class. I'm surprised you didn't know him."

Tifa was glancing at Aeris as though she were accusing Tifa of a horrible crime, but said nothing. Cloud took notice of this too, but decided to let it go for the time being.

"Let's go to the reactor," Cloud instructed.

---

The trek through the jungle would have been uneventful had it not been for something that Yuffie spotted. She had gone on ahead and when the others reached her she turned silently and put her finger up to her mouth. She then nodded her head around a bamboo tree to where two familiar suits were having a conversation.

"So, Rude come on. Who do you like?" Reno asked.

Rude sighed and rubbed his chin. "Uh… Tifa."

"Yeah that's a tough one," Reno concurred. "But poor Elena. Wasn't she like-"

"No, she likes Tseng," Rude explained.

"Are they eight?" Tifa asked.

"I know," came a voice from behind them. The group turned to see Elena standing behind them with her gun drawn. "They're always talking about who they like instead of actually doing their job. Hey boys! We've got company!"

Reno and Rude rushed over and took a look at the large team. Reno particularly eyed Yuffie and Cait Sith. "They're multiplying. I'm not sure we can handle this many."

"We can't just let them go!" Elena shouted.

"Hey, our job is surveillance. Let the guards come if they want them that badly," Reno explained. "Although it is a pretty poor way to treat the people who let you go. You should've just stayed in Junon."

"We're looking for Sephiroth," Cloud said. "We hear he headed to Nibelheim."

"And that's another thing I wanted to ask you. Sneaking onto the cargo ship was one thing, but how the hell did you intercept that message? I guess you ex-SOLDIER boys are smarter than you look," Reno nodded.

"You really wanna know?" Cloud laughed. "You're dumb-ass boss left the message in a parcel and he accidentally gave it to me after my spectacular performance."

"Heheh. I wouldn't put it past him," Reno chuckled. "Well then let's get going."

"What you're not gonna try and fight us?" Aeris asked.

"Our job, as I've said, was surveillance. Just letting you know that we're keeping an eye on you," Reno said as he walked off into the jungle. Rude was next and Elena grudgingly followed after, giving Tifa a death glare.

"They knew where to find us," Red said. "I wonder who is feeding them the information."

"Let's not jump to conclusions," Aeris said.

"He's got a point," chimed Cait Sith. "Shinra's intelligence is top-notch, but they still need an inside man for this kind of precision."

"I wouldn't be talking so big, Mr. Cat, you're the most recent member of our happy family and that makes you the most likely suspect," Barret barked.

"Enough of this!" Cloud shouted. "That's exactly what they want. The Turks are great at breaking up groups by planting little seeds like that. Don't let them manipulate you. I trust everyone."

And with that, the accusations settled, but everybody began glancing around, looking for the knife that was never drawn.

---

The ruined Gongaga reactor was a pathetic sight. Just one massive cluster of metal with nothing of value.

"It's pointless. I don't know why Sephiroth headed here, but whatever he was looking for he either found it already or moved on," Cloud shrugged.

"Moved on to where?" Cait Sith asked.

"Nibelheim," Cloud said. "That's what the note said, and the Turks pretty much confirmed it."

"We'll cross my home of Cosmo Canyon on the way there. That is where we must part ways," Red said.

"What?" Aeris asked.

"That's what I said. You knew from the beginning that I would not be traveling with you forever," Red explained.

Suddenly a loud whirring boomed overhead. Cloud and Tifa leapt under a metal cluster just as the massive chopper flew by. The others had managed to avoid being seen by hiding amid the wreckage. The chopper touched down and Tseng and Scarlet stepped out.

"This is terrible!" Scarlet whined. "There's nothing we can use here! What we need is big, huge materia!"

"Perhaps the underwater reactor in Junon?" Tseng asked.

"Maybe. Ugh. Ever since Hojo left the weapon's department has gotten a huge budget!" Scarlet griped.

"I envy them," Tseng nodded.

"It's not like that horsefaced Heidegger is even smart enough to use it properly. Ultimate weapon my eye," Scarlet cursed.

Tseng stood silently. Scarlet turned with a flowery grin. "Oh I forgot. That knucklehead is your boss."

"We should be going Ms. Scarlet," Tseng said.

Tseng escorted her to the chopper and it took off, heading towards Nibelheim to the north.

"Big, huge materia?" Cloud asked. "What in the world are they trying to build?" 


	22. Chapter 21: Red XIII

Chapter XXI: Red XIII

The dune buggy may have been easy to drive over the broken earth of desert, and it could ford a river without difficulty, but the dense woodlands beyond Gongaga were much harder terrain for the massive vehicle. The dense undergrowth made for challenging passage indeed. On three separate occasions Cloud had to put the buggy in reverse and re-navigate due to a downed tree or boulder, the third occasion forcing him to backtrack almost half a mile.

The motion-sick Yuffie did not make this trek any easier. Shortly after crossing a river in the woods, she demanded that Cloud stop. She ran to the bank of the river and returned five minutes later looking miserable. Red XIII, being forced to sit on top of the buggy was another hindrance. While he did shout out warnings about the path ahead that the ground-level Cloud could not see, the added weight on the rear tires made for a bumpy ride.

They managed to find a clearing by sunset and decided to camp before attempting to make it through the rest of the woods. As difficult as it was during the day, the night would make it impossible.

"We are nearing the lands of my ancestors," Red explained. "It is there we shall part ways, as I have previously warned."

"You're really going to leave us after all we've been through together?" Aeris asked.

"I'm afraid I must. I have duties to my family, and much I have to catch up on," Red nodded. "You've known this from the beginning."

"Hey I didn't know!" Yuffie protested.

"Me neither, but then there's still a lot for me to learn," Cait Sith added as his Mog began to snore loudly beneath him.

"I'm sorry, but that's all I have to say on the matter," Red explained.

The group began to mumble, but Cloud stopped them.

"We were aware of Red's conditions when we freed him. He has helped us out of a lot of tight spots and if he wants to leave us then that is his right," Cloud explained. He decided now would be a good time to change topics. "Just how far do we have to go?"

"Cosmo Canyon is something of a misnomer. The town itself actually rests on the edge of a cliff, overlooking the canyon. Since we've passed the river, my guess is we'll be out of these woods in about ten miles and then we'll have to deal with the wasteland. The trek up the mountains will be difficult for the buggy, but we should be able to reach the town by nightfall tomorrow," Red explained.

"I heard that those Cosmo Canyon people were very wary of outsiders. Are we gonna be okay?" Yuffie asked.

"We've got an insider with us," Cloud said. "Besides I thought that AVALANCHE got its start in Cosmo Canyon."

Everybody looked at Barret, who was now chewing on a large turkey leg. He swallowed and nodded. "Yeah. Jesse, Biggs, Wedge and myself all met there. I promised them…"

Barret turned away from the others. "I said that once we beat Shinra I'd take them all back to Cosmo Canyon to celebrate." Tifa placed her hand on Barret's shoulder, and he nodded again. "Yeah well. We haven't beat Shinra yet but I guess I'm living up to that promise after all."

---

The trip was as perilous as Red described and then some. Upon exiting the forest, the buggy hit a rocky patch, which temporarily shook it out of control. When the vehicle was done spinning, Cloud exited the vehicle to inspect the damage and Yuffie went right behind him.

Cloud's initial inspection gave him no particular cause for alarm, but a quick glance at the terrain did. The canyon was comprised of rocky trails formed by years of natural erosion and soil decay. To get to the top of the canyon where the town was, the buggy would have to navigate a set of unsettling switchbacks, which were not meant for vehicles. The only other option was to take the long way around, which Cloud felt was the only safe way to go. Before returning to his seat, Cloud took notice of Red's irritated expression, and saw the deep claw marks in the roof of the buggy.

"In the future, please be more careful," Red hissed.

They traveled slowly over the rocky terrain, heading all the way to the end of the canyon and then doubling back once the flat land evened out. This was not exactly a wasted step either, as what lay beyond the edge of the canyon was a few miles of flat wasteland and then impassable steppes. Cloud remembered this from his mission five years ago, which took him to his home of Nibelheim.

However the toll on the buggy was noticeable. The long expanse of the rough terrain didn't exactly do wonders for the integrity of the vehicle and, a few miles out from their destination, it broke down and smoke began to pour from underneath the hood.

"Fantastic," Cloud sighed as he hit his head on the steering wheel.

---

"We weren't expecting to get results from the Gongaga Reactor," Scarlet explained. "It was destroyed after all."

"That's fantastic Scarlet. First you tell me that I need to distract my forces on this half-assed venture of yours for some weapons project that I don't even fully understand, and now you are telling me that you failed," Rufus cursed.

The Gelnika carrier was currently off-line. Severe system malfunctions which prevented its use in flight. Therefore Rufus had been traveling in a caravan of military vehicles, none of which were properly outfitted for a man of his stature. A president should not have to be herded like cattle, and yet he knew that he needed to be on the frontline of everything that was going on. If he relented for a moment, his plans would fall through.

The APC was big enough, and it had a built-in living quarter, restroom and office for the president, but it was inhumanly hot. Rufus had been working in a military tanktop and pants and had ordered the technical staff to begin installing an air conditioner in this unit. He had not shaved in two weeks and his face was beginning to look disheveled and haggard. He felt miserable.

"Mr. President, I assure you that this project will be worth it in the long run. Think of the potential. If an ordinary materia orb can power our Mako weapons, then think of what this Huge Materia could produce!" Scarlet insisted.

"Huge Materia is the product of bad science and guess work," Hojo interjected as he stepped into the APC. "We have only seen one such instance of this phenomena in the Junon Underwater Reactor and the tests we conducted were inconclusive. If anything it would seem that the materia's size made it more dormant than other concentrated crystals."

"Really?" Scarlet asked. "I may not be a scientist, Doctor, but I can decipher energy readouts. What are you gaining by holding back the Huge Materia from the Weapons Development Branch?"

Hojo smiled coyly. "Why Scarlet, whatever do you mean? I am trying to make sure you don't waste the President's time with nonsense." His smile faded. "Besides what do we need a super-weapon for? We have SOLDIER, Junon's Cannon and when it is functional again we'll have our fleet of the Gelnika Carrier, the 202 Airborne Division and, of course, the Highwind."

"I agree," Rufus nodded. "Our concern right now is stopping Sephiroth. Then we have to deal with AVALANCHE. After that we have to focus on finding the Promised Land and building Neo-Midgar. You are dismissed, Scarlet."

Scarlet's fist was shaking. She flashed her green eyes at Hojo before walking out of the APC. Hojo followed after her, but not before bowing to Rufus. Rufus shook his head and picked up a radio.

"Send me Tseng," Rufus demanded.

---

As rough as the terrain was for treaded tires, it was even more difficult on foot. Only Yuffie and Red didn't seem to mind the terrain. Yuffie was glad to be out of the car and Red knew the land extremely well.

"So, uh, Cait?" Yuffie asked. "Are you a real talking cat?"

"Real is a funny word, miss Yuffie," Cait Sith replied. "If you're talking to me then I must be real."

"You know what I mean," Yuffie hissed.

"No need to take offense," Cait Sith nodded. "But no, I am not a living breathing entity like the rest of you. I and several of my ilk were built by Shinra. The official classification is Toysaurus. Basically we're mechanized dolls that can either be remotely operated or have built in local execution commands and standardized personalities…"

"That's a little complicated for me," Yuffie chuckled.

"In other words, he's an Artificial Intelligence… a robot that can learn and grow like humans," Cloud explained. "Same with your Mog?"

"We're part and parcel of the same package… if you'll forgive a pun," Cait Sith smiled, expecting the humans to find this funny.

Tifa hung back and began to talk to Cloud. "A robot built by Shinra. Do you think there could be tracking devices thrown in?"

Cloud shook his head. "Even if there were, they would be ineffective beyond about ten miles or so. Still, I might want to have somebody take a look at him later."

Finally, the town of Cosmo Canyon appeared on the horizon, and the group began to pick up their pace, particularly Red, who ran towards his home excitedly. There was a large set of stone stairs leading up to the town proper, which was the last thing the Barret wanted to see.

"Why are there always stairs?" Barret whined. "I miss Midgar. Elevators everywhere."

The town was built in a massive rock formation that overlooked the canyon. There was a large bonfire in the center of the town and all the caverns that made up the buildings seemed to be located around the fire. On top of the rock formation was a large telescope which could barely be seen in the dimming light.

Furthermore the town seemed to be mostly made up of humans, but there was the occasional beast, who seemed almost indistinguishable from Red, except that some were darker skinned and had their manes decorated in different ways. It was a human who stopped them at the gate.

"Nanaki!" The man cried. "It's been nearly four years! We were worried about you!"

"I have returned," Red nodded. "Is my grandfather in?"

"Grandfather Bugenhagen is in his usual room. He'll want to know you are okay," the man said.

"Who's Nanaki?" Aeris asked.

The man looked indignant and pointed at Red. "Nanaki is Nanaki. That is his name. Did you not know that?"

Cloud nodded. "That's right. He never did tell us his real name, just what Hojo called him."

Cloud and the others began to make their way into town after Red, but the man stopped them.

"I am sorry. We do not allow outsiders into these ancestral grounds," the man said.

Red turned to the man. "They have helped me much along the way. They are the reason I am here. Please allow them in."

The man looked the group over. "You will need to surrender your weapons, at the very least."

"What?" Yuffie cursed.

"Take it easy," Cloud instructed. "Their house their rules."

The man became overloaded with Cloud's sword, Aeris's staff, Yuffie's shuriken and kunai and all the clips for Barret's gun-arm. However he let them pass without further delay.

"So Red… or do you prefer Nanaki?" Tifa asked.

"Names are irrelevant in most cultures, but to my tribe they are endowed with meaning and significance and are not uttered lightly. As most of your ilk tend to use names without thinking, I would prefer that you still refer to me as Red," Red instructed. "Besides I've developed a fondness for it."

"So what's the deal with your people?" Aeris asked.

"My tribe are the defenders of this land, and have been since the dawn of time. The indigenous human tribes nearby began to share their expertise with us, and in return we shared our land. The two races have lived in harmony for many years now. On that note, do not be surprised when you see my 'grandfather'," Red explained.

The trek up to the top floor gave them all time to think about this cryptic statement, but nothing Red could have done to prepare them would have sufficed.

Bugenhagen had the face, torso and arms of a withered old man. However where his legs should be was simply a rounded off end. This would have been a tad shocking, but bearable. What truly did a number was that this man seemed to float wherever he moved, his end never touching the ground.

And then Yuffie, in her usual tactless manner, pointed out another odd thing.

"You grandpa doesn't look anything like you," she said without thinking.

Bugenhagen began to laugh, his purple robes shaking as he did. "Your friends are quite astute, Nanaki."

Red looked back and growled at Yuffie, who took shelter slightly behind Barret.

"Sorry," Yuffie moaned.

"It's alright. I am what you humans refer to as a 'mystic'. A being that can assume the culture of those around it and those that are at one with the universe. Physical representations of the planets Life Force," Bugenhagen nodded.

"Really?" Aeris asked.

Bugenhagen burst out laughing again. "Hahahahaha! No you silly kids, I'm a human with a war wound. Lost my legs defending this canyon from the encroaching Gi tribe. I had a little surgery done and thanks to the technology available at the time I am able to float in place of walking."

"That's advanced stuff," Cloud commented. "Not even Shinra has mastered an anti-gravity device yet."

"Our technicians are among the best. No wonder Shinra is always poking their noses in here to try and recruit," Bugenhagen explained.

"That still doesn't explain why you look nothing like Red," Yuffie said.

Again, Red growled and Yuffie retreated further behind Barret.

"Ah, let the girl be Nanaki. She's just curious. I am not Red's little grandfather. When his mother and father died I took care of him. Because of my age he chose to call me grandfather instead of step-father," Bugenhagen explained.

"Oh that's so sad," Aeris said softly.

"But now, on to business," Bugenhagen said, in a dramatic change of tone. "You all are fighting Shinra, and as I can plainly see you have a Cetra with you as well."

Aeris was impressed. "You can tell?"

"I can assure you miss I am as old as I look. Not fifty years ago there were more of you running about. There are some trademark signs to look for, and not a one of them relates to your physical appearance," Bugenhagen raised his glasses slightly. "Which isn't bad either by the way."

Aeris giggled, but Yuffie and Tifa exchanged nervous glances.

"Oh come on, I've earned the right to be a creepy old man," Bugenhagen joked. "Anyways. If you are trying to stop Shinra, then you will need an education in exactly what you are dealing with. Come. It's time for you to learn exactly what you are up against."


	23. Chapter 22: Lifestream

Chapter XXII: Lifestream

Author's Note:

I am novelizing one of the greatest Final Fantasy's ever made. However I recognize that the plot can be a tad convoluted and those of you who have been reading from the beginning may be missing some crucial points. Originally this chapter was going to be called Nanaki and finish off the Cosmo Canyon story, but since even I, the author, found this to be confusing, I decided to use this a dual-fronted catch-up chapter.

--

Bugenhagen's laboratory was filled with many unusual objects, which even the experienced Cloud had never seen before. Strange stone tablets from various cultures, the occasional beaker of potion brewing, which filled the room with a strange fruity odor, and a large pedestal in the center of it all which seemed to rise into the heavens themselves.

Upon seeing this contraption, everybody looked up and saw in a massive dome above them a scale replica of the galaxy.

"I guess we're going up?" Barret asked.

"Yes, yes," Bugenhagen said, perhaps more tersely than he meant. "Now just step on the pedestal there."

Everyone took a spot on the large pedestal, and Bugenhagen pressed a switch on a large console on the side. The pedestal began to rise into the model.

"Do not worry about hitting your head," said Bugenhagen. "It's all light imagery, nothing to fear."

Aeris gasped in awe as the lights in the laboratory went out, and despite the dim light Cloud swore he saw at least one tear in her eyes. Tifa, Yuffie and Cait Sith were equally stunned, and Barret was certainly impressed, but Red XIII seemed to be somewhat bored by this contraption, as though he had seen it several times before.

"As you can probably tell, this is the galaxy as we know it, from our point of view in the solar system," Bugenhagen explained. He reached for a small blue-green planet which floated towards him. "And this is Terra, our home planet."

"This is amazing," Cloud blurted, unable to restrain himself.

Bugenhagen nodded with a smile, but continued speaking. "Everything on this planet; all life as we know it, is connected. This is a principle of the Cetra that most of us know to be true. Our actions affect many. While we believe that we are independent,"

Bugenhagen cast a knowing glance at Yuffie.

"unable to help others,"

His gaze turned to Barret.

", or perhaps we simply do not care about this,"

One last glance in the direction of Cloud, who avoided direct eye contact.

"it is an established fact that we affect each others lives in one way or another. Our lives bring about new life. The bond between parent and child is especially strong in this sense, but it is more than just a theoretical bond."

Bugenhagen waved his hand over the scale of Terra. Multi-colored lights of blue, green and red appeared all over the planet.

"The Lifestream, we call it. The pulse of the planet, the connection of spiritual energy that flows from tree, water, humans, even the very rock. So long as it lives, it is bound together by the Lifestream. Spirit energy is a term you should never forget, as it is this energy which allows you to use the magicks that you cling to so dearly."

Cloud and Tifa both glanced at the materia they had stored on them. They began to pulse slightly.

"Materia is the condensed form of that Lifestream. Very physical, and sometimes dangerous, manifestations of that spirit energy."

"Wait a second," Barret said. "Condensed Lifestream? That's like… uh…"

"Yes, my friend. Shinra's precious Mako Energy is none other than the Lifestream."

"That's why the planet is dying!" Tifa shouted.

"Indeed. It may not be in our lifetime, but I believe if the Mako Reactors are not shut down, then this planet will have exhausted itself to death. Even if we shut down every single reactor now, however, the damage that has been done would not be able to be undone. Lifestream gathers in places of the planet's injury, you see.

"While it attempts to heal these wounds everything is fine. The planet can repair itself, like any other living organism. However if the damage done is too great, the Lifestream is useless. A mortal blow would gather all the Lifestream together for one last great gathering, and then by the means of Omega, retreat into the cosmos.

"And then, what happens? Watch."

Bugenhagen raised his hands over the scale yet again and the lights began to die out. Once every light was extinguished, the rocky remains fell apart.

"Not a hard concept to grasp, is it?" Bugenhagen asked.

"We have to stop Shinra," Barret cursed.

"We also need to stop Sephiroth. Whatever this Promised Land is, there's a good bet that the Lifestream has gathered there," Cloud said.

"Well now. I think I have made my point and I'm getting a little hungry. Come stay by the bonfire tonight. We'll have a roast in your honor while our servicemen repair your vehicle," Bugenhagen nodded as he turned on the lights and lowered the pedestal.

Cloud and the others nodded and left the laboratory.

---

Rufus had gathered his team into the already cramped APC. The air conditioner was finally working and so it wasn't obscenely hot, but the body heat and humidity made for an unpleasant environment.

"All right. We're here. That makes the whole team. Now, I want to know exactly what is going on. Lately it seems like everyone here has a different agenda, and I'm only getting bits and pieces. What the hell is going on?"

There was a general look of confusion.

"Okay, fine. Dr. Hojo. Why did you leave us?" Rufus demanded.

"I needed to conduct individual research, I have already explained myself," Hojo replied, somewhat tersely.

"Research you couldn't have conducted with the help of Shinra's databases and vast wealth of resources?" Rufus asked.

"I had to make a trip to the Temple of the Ancients, just to confirm my theory," Hojo explained.

"The Temple of the Ancients?" Rufus asked.

"It lies south of Junon on a small forested island. Looks something like a pyramid or ziggarut. It is a religious and governemental center of the Cetra, back when they were in power." Hojo explained.

"Fair enough. What have you uncovered?"

"Let's start from the beginning," Hojo explained.

"There were three test subjects in the JENOVA project. Did you know that?" Hojo was looking directly at Tseng who turned away.

"Those records were sealed. How did you access them?" Heidigger demanded.

"Please, General, you forget yourself. I am not going to reveal my secrets quite yet, except to the good President in due course," Hojo passed a twisted smile to Rufus who let it slide for the time being.

"Anyways, these subjects were cleverly hidden, disguised by the initials G, A, and S. Well of course S would be Sephiroth and I have my suspicions as to who G and A are, but I will leave that at that. All we know is G and A were degrading. But with Sephiroth we finally mastered the technique. There was no degredation, only pure power.

"A power which we learned too late could destroy us all. Sephiroth discovered the source of his power and seemed insulted."

There was a stir.

"If by that you mean he destroyed an entire town," Scarlet hissed.

"Indeed. Now these three subjects had offspring, if you will. Their enhanced cells were given to various SOLDIER candidates. Those injected with G and A cells died. Those who were given S cells, however, mysteriously disappeared about a week ago.

"Now this is just a Theory, but my believe is that there is going to be what the Ancients referred to as a Reunion. And this is not a function of the Ancients themselves, but of that they called the 'Calamity from the Sky'. It regathers, and reforms itself, seeking the death of… well everything.

"You see JENOVA was not an Ancient, but this Calamity. And if Sephiroth has truly taken up his mother's mantle… then this could be quite bad for the planet," Hojo had lost all trace of maniac joy or snide leer. His face was a mask of utmost seriousness.

"And these missing soldiers are part of this?"

"In one sense, yes, but it only takes one to bring about the end, and that is JENOVA. If she is with Sephiroth as we believe, then we must make it to the Promised Land before he does."

"Or else what?" Rufus asked.

"Or else he will use the power that we gave him to bury us all in our graves."


	24. Chapter 23: Nanaki

Chapter XXIII: Nanaki

The warm glow of the bonfire set the twilight sky ablaze as the day slowly came to an end. The scent of roasted meats wafted throughout the town and lured the townspeople to the center of the village in preparation for dinner.

The toast of the evening was, of course, the return of Red XIII. Or, as they called him, Nanaki. It was strange to hear the partner they had been traveling with for so long called by a different name, one that they had no knowledge of until recently, but if that was Reds prerogative then so be it.

The talk got philosophical as night overtook the canyon. Most of the citizens had already gone to bed by now, and only AVALANCHE remained, sitting huddled together as the bitter canyon air began to creep over them.

"This Lifestream stuff is pretty complicated, huh?" Yuffie observed.

"Makes perfect sense to me," Cloud said. "But then all SOLDIERs are familiar with the concept of Mako Energy, and the two are apparently the same concept. "

"Seems like just one more mark against Shinra to me," Barret added. "As if they didnt have enough on their plate."

Red steadily moved in the direction of the nearby cliff. He stood on the edge and, echoed by the distant sound of a few other of his tribesmen and (nearby wolfs), howled as the moon rose high over the plateau.

The sound was eerie, and yet beautiful. Red's deep bark was syncopated with a nearby grayish tribesman, who whined in an even deeper bay. Two young cubs joined in the song, their high-pitched yapping causing Yuffie and Aeris to giggle and stare in adoration.

And then, as suddenly as it had begun, the baying died down. Red was the last to cease his howl. He returned to the bonfire as if nothing had happened.

"So, uh…" Cait Sith began.

"It is a ritual. All species in the order Lupis understand this ritual, but most others do not," Red XIII. "However I feel you may find it interesting. "

The group gathered closer to Red.

"The moon is a guardian of the night, this we all understand. But to those in the order Lupis it is more. The moon is our guardian body, the celestial being that tempers our fate. Those in our order who have passed on, rejoin the moon, what we call Luna, and live forever in paradise.

The reason we howl is so that we might hear our ancestors howl with us. You cannot hear it, of course, but when we sing, our departed loved ones sing as well. I hear my mother sing… and those two," Red made noticed of the two young cubs. "They hear their brothers and sisters. Were it not for Greymare," Red turned his gaze to the dark tribesman with the thick grey mane, "they would be alone. Many of our parents died defending this canyon. And my mother… she was brilliant."

There was a somber silence, as the group reflected the significance of these words. Then, out of a morbid sense of curiosity, Aeris asked the question that had been on all of their minds.

"Did you father die defending the canyon as well?"

Red scoffed. "Don't speak of the wastrel. He fled during the heat of battle. Left the Gi to invade and overrun the city. Had it not been for the brave actions of my mother and Greymare, the city would have been lost. She died, and he suffers greatly every day because of poison in the Gi arrows. My father… I don't even know where he is."

Greymare walked over to the group, seemingly having heard mention of his name. His voice was deeper than Red's and he spoke in a raspy drawl.

"Greetings, outlanders. I am Greymare. At least that is the name that I have been given in honor of my service to the canyon," Greymare nuzzled his pale stone-colored fur and then added. "A name derived from my battle scars. All warriors of Cosmo Canyon hope to attain such honor. Nanaki here is fresh, but already has many scars. His father Seto was the same way."

"Seto the coward," Red hissed.

Bugenhagen appeared as if from nowhere; rounding a corner stairwell to join the group at the base of the fire.

"So you really hate your father, don't you?" Bugenhagen asked.

"He left my mother to die!" Red protested.

There was a pause, and a small grin of understanding spread across Bugenhagen's 's face.

"Elder," Greymare nodded respectfully.

"Please Greymare," Bugenhagen laughed. "You're older than me and thrice as experienced I dare say. No, I must ask your permission to open the door to the Grotto."

Greymare looked at Red, and then back at Bugenhagen. "His mother did not want him to go there. Nor his father."

"The Grotto?" Red asked.

The other members of AVALANCHE sat in a stunned silence, watching what transpired between these three warriors, although Barret was, somewhat haphazardly, chewing on a turkey leg.

"It was closed after the initial Gi attack. A secret way into the canyon. It's a good thing the Gi never were able to use it as it would have spelled doom for us," Bugenhagen nodded.

"He's just a boy," Greymare said coldly.

"A boy?" Tifa chimed in. "Really?"

Bugenhagen was diplomatic enough to explain. "The Cosmo Tribe has incredible longevity. While Red is indeed 41 years old in human terms, to one of the tribesmen, he is no more than the equivalent of 15 or 16. About your age, Miss Kisaragi."

Yuffie blushed slightly, partly at the sudden acknowledgement of her young age, and partly at being addressed as Miss Kisaragi.

"I want to prove myself," Red said, his youthfulness now suddenly apparent, as though it had always been there, but merely hiding beneath his benevolent and wise nature.

Greymare sighed. "Too many of our tribesmen died 'proving themselves'. Greatness is not passed down, Nanaki, it is earned. And it is earned primarily through patience."

"Still, if he is to be sojourning through the world, and facing the evils of it, perhaps it is time. It would be a shame for him to die without learning what lies within the Grotto," Bugenhagen added.

Greymare again looked at Red, and then back at Bugenhagen. "This is why you are the Elder."

And in one solid motion, he scratched his headdress with his paw, dropping a key on the ground in front of Bugenhagen. He then walked up to Red.

"Nanaki. I go now to my home in the wild. It was good to see you again after so long."

He nuzzled the top of Red's head with his nose, is a gesture that reminded Cloud of the same way his mother would also rub his spikey hair. A sudden sweeping sensation of longing overtook him until the farewell had been completed.

"Likewise, Greymare," Red replied slightly embarrassed.

"Once you see what lies in the Grotto… please do not think to harshly of your mother or I," Greymare sighed as he turned to walk off.

"Nothing could change how I feel about you both," Red replied.

Greymare did not bother to respond. He just stood with his back turned to the group, then howled slightly at the moon one last time, before running off into the desert.

"Well, this should be the right key. Though I suppose it would be funny if it wasn't, eh?" Bugenhagen laughed. "He'd feel quite the fool having to return after an exit like that."

Cloud rolled his eyes. Did this man take nothing seriously?

---

The room was dark. He didn't know where he was or what he was doing there. All he knew was that alcohol had been consumed. It stuck to his clothes, although it was only a pair of boxers and a tanktop that he wore.

He tried to collect his thoughts, and recall what had happened. He had taken somebody home last night, but who was it? It was a girl that he worked with… that much was certain. He turned on his bedside lamp and a burning yellow glaze immolated his corneas.

He looked at the naked silhouette beside him.

"Oh God," he groaned. "Sally. Wake up."

There was a knock on the door, the rapping boring a hole in the back of his skull.

"Damn it. Coming!" He shouted.

The girl stirred in bed. "David? What's that?"

"Don't worry about it," David replied.

He walked over to his bedroom door. Before he even had a chance to open it, there was a shotgun blast through the lock in the door, and it was kicked open. Two men in military uniforms grabbed David's arms and legs and dragged him out of the bedroom as he screamed.

Sally screamed next and two other soldiers grabbed her, covering her naked body with a small plastic poncho. They took them down the hall into a room filled with other people in the apartment building. They had all had their hands tied behind their backs and wore blindfolds. A few of them wore gags to stop the screaming.

"You see," came the cool voice of Don Corneo. "This is what I pay you gentlemen for. "

Two soldiers turned and saluted Corneo.

"Now send our demands to Shinra. And," Corneo looked down at Sally, who had yet to be bound. "Tie her up and send her to my room."

---

The Grotto was a small cavern passage in the canyon. It looked like it had not been disturbed in years, mainly due to the large iron door that had blocked it. Bugenhagen had used the key that Greymare dropped to open it.

"This was a secret way into the city. So few of us knew it. But the Gi, it seemed, had been planning to use this as an entryway into the canyon," Bugenhagen explained as they passed by a large shale formation.

He looked at a series of diverting chambers. None of them looked particularly pleasant, but the one that seemed the most uninviting was, of course, the one they went down.

"When the attack began, the Gi sent their main army to attack the Canyon from the opposite ridge. You of course know the outcome of that attack," Bugenhagen said, addressing Red.

Red nodded curtly.

"But a secret detachment had been sent to use the Grotto. It was a small force, but enough to create enough confusion to successfully surround and destroy the army within the city."

"So what happened?" Cloud asked. "Did they get lost in the caves?"

Bugenhagen shook his head. He turned and stopped at what appeared to be a large statue.

"Like all evil, traces are left behind. I fear I had forgotten," Bugenhagen sighed.

Suddenly the statue began to move, it's massive arms each wielding massive cleavers. It spit out two dark floating pyres from its heart and they began to circle the room.

Barret began to fire his gunarm at the floating fires. Each bullet passed through harmlessly.

"What the hell are these things?" Barret asked.

"Spirits of the Gi long since past," Bugenhagen said calmly. "You cannot hope to defeat them with weapons. "

"Then what are we going to do?" Cait Sith asked.

Aeris reached into her bag and pulled out a large green materia orb. "Cleanse them with the Lifestream."

The orb glowed brightly and the room grew very cold as a beam of ice shot out from the orb, knocking down one of the fires. It disappeared in a hollow scream. The other, sensing the death of its partner, rushed towards Aeris and pierced her heart with its flame.

"Aeris!" Cloud shouted.

But Aeris didn't move. She didn't even flinch. Her head hung low, but her breathing had slowed down to an almost inhuman level of deliberation, each breath packed with meaning.

"Aeris?" Tifa asked cautiously.

Caith Sith approached slowly, jumping off his Mog. "Miss Aeris. Do you need some help?"

"Stay away," came a voice from Aeris's body that did not belong to her at all; a thick cackle that echoed menacingly throughout the cavern.

She lifted her face, and her skin had grown dark grey, reminding Cloud sickeningly of a corpse… and Greymare.

Aeris's features flushed back for a second, and Cloud could tell by her face that she was in mortal agony. She choked out in a pained sob, "Help me."

The demon took over again, and Aeris rose high into the air, laughing with glee as she began to juggle the materia orbs that she had in her bag.

"You kill her, you won't kill me," Aeris laughed. "You can't defeat me!"

Red hissed loudly. "I'm not sure that's true, demon."

And in a blaze, he jumped onto the statue and, with strength that the others had never seen before, smashed the statue's torso with his head. The metal headdress he wore seemed to protect him, as the stone began to crack and fall apart. Aeris slowly fell to the ground, and the fire inside her disappeared.

Cloud rushed over to Aeris and lifted her up. "Are you okay?"

Aeris rubbed her head. "I've been better," she smiled weakly.

"Well that wasn't as bad as it could have been," Bugenhagen said cheerily.

"What's going on? Why did you bring us here to get attacked?" Red shouted.

The others looked stunned at Red's anger, but Bugenhagen simply smiled and nodded in the direction where the statue had once stood.

There was an exit leading out into a moonlight canyon… the backside of Cosmo Canyon.

The group walked out and looked up to the top of a large rock formation. At the top was a statue of a tribesman.

"He alone, defended this cavern. Protected the back side of the canyon alone, fighting them off even as the Gi's poisoned arrows stung his body. Kept that at bay, rather than seeking medical attention… he succumbed to his wounds here," Bugenhagen said.

"That's… Seto?" Red asked, with a tremble in his voice, his head hung as low as was possible to still see what now they understood as the petrified body of Seto.

"He made Greymare and your mother swear never to tell you. They didn't want you to grow up with a desire for revenge against the Gi. Most importantly. They didn't want you going on any damned adventures," Bugenhagen chuckled slightly, but with no humor in his tone for a change. "But now I think you are ready to know the truth."

Red was unable to cry, but his tone indicated that were he a human, he would be awash in tears. "I've dishonored him. I've treated him as though he were a coward when all this time…"

"You did not know. I would expect no less. Your father did not care. That's what made him great. Heroes do not desire praise or glory. He was fine with you believing him a coward and scoundrel until your dying days, so long as you lived," Bugenhagen explained.

"Father…" Red whined.

A drop of moisture hit Red's nose. He looked up, and saw tears falling from the statuesque Seto. Aeris covered her face, and Tifa put her arm around Aeris's shoulder.

Barret's face was a mask of depression. It was clear that he was wondering if Marlene would someday grow up and think of him as nothing more than a warmongering ne'er-do-well who never had time to be with her.

Cait Sith's feline ears hung low, and his misshapen crown seemed to droop somewhat.

Yuffie had folded her arms, and it was clear that she was in deep thought. She turned away from the scene, unable to bear it. What secrets of her past had she not told them, that this fatherly image brought her so much grief that she could not even express it?

Cloud himself, felt a strange sense of deadly still within him. Just a calm acceptance of the fact, but nothing more. Had he grown so jaded that he was unable to express… or even feel emotion?

Red climbed to the top of the rock formation and stood beside his father, and he began to howl loudly. He could not hear it, but Cloud knew that Seto was howling back.


	25. Chapter 24: Vincent

Chapter XXIV: Vincent

Reno sat outside the apartment complex in Junon. He was sick of this town, and constantly running back and forth between it, but there was a problem.

"That's Corneo?" Reno asked.

"Yeah," said Rude, approaching the crime scene. "Wants immunity, 150 million gil and a privately contracted chartered flight to Mideel."

"He should have chosen his game better. There's nobody in this building that Shinra really cares about. We'll send in the SIA and SWAT, but this isn't a Turk issue," Reno said.

A heavily armored SWAT Division leader walked up to Reno. "Sir," he saluted.

"At ease, I'm not in the army anymore, just a lowly second-in-command Turk," Reno nodded with an air of amusement.

The SWAT Officer seemed taken aback, but reflected the wishes of Reno for this conversation to remain informal.

"At present he has all but one hostage tied up in a large suite apartment. They are guarded by five private military mercenaries, likely from some of our missing soldiers," he explained.

"Okay, what are our insertion options?" Reno asked.

"I'd recommend approaching from the rear stairwell. Take in a team of 9 SWAT Operatives , and two SIA agents. Break the door down, fire off some rounds, we lose about 6 hostages at the most," The officer replied.

"Make good your estimate," Reno nodded.

"You say all but one hostage? Where is the other one?" Rude asked.

"With Corneo, sir. Tied to a bed from what we can tell with infrared imaging," The Officer replied.

Reno's fists began to shake. "That sick son of a bitch. God only knows what he's doing to her. Okay, now this is a Turk issue."

Reno patted the Officer on the shoulder and then opened the front door to the apartment complex. As he entered, he heard the Officer directing his men and the two SIA Agents around back. Rude followed closely behind him.

Shot rang out from the stairwell above them. Rude looked up and saw a thuggish young man holding a pistol.

"What the hell, he's got reinforcements?" Reno asked, casually firing three rounds into the man's chest.

"Score one for military intelligence," Rude commented coolly.

They ran up the flight of stairs and rounded the corner. Two more bursts of fire came from down the hall, and two more thugs stood in their way. Rude dispatched them both with two well place bullets in their skulls.

"Got the whole damn building on his side, apparently," Rude cursed.

The went down the hall and bashed in one of the apartment doors. The place was an absolute disaster. Spare cartridges and clips of ammunition laid scattered on the floor, as well as cheap military rations, some which had been left open and were now attracting flies. Furniture lay threadbare and tattered in no particular order and inexplicable scraps of paper seemed to litter the floor.

"Lovely hideout," Reno chimed.

More shots shattered the eerie silence that had filled the apartment. But these came from above. Apparently the SWAT team had arrived.

"They got here a little too soon," Reno said kicking down the bedroom door and raising his pistol. "Freeze!"

But Corneo was nowhere to be found. Just the bound, naked, shivering blonde. She was gagged with a pillowcase and blindfolded by another, but Reno could still see streams of tears rolling down her face.

"Rude, take care of the girl," Reno said.

He rushed back out into the main part of the apartment and kicked open the kitchen door. Nobody was here. He moved down the hall to the dining room and it was the same. He opened the bathroom door, but still nothing. Reno scoffed and rejoined Rude in the bedroom. The girl had been untied and Rude had wrapped a sheet around her. He was softly consoling her in a level of compassion that Reno had never seen.

"You're okay now, he's gone. We're gonna take care of you," Rude said, rubbing her back as she sobbed uncontrollably into Rude's shoulder. He turned up and looked at Reno. "Is he-?"

"He's gone. Must have bolted when he heard the shots downstairs. Fucking coward," Reno cursed.

"I want this son of a bitch. I want him dead."

---

The morning came quicker than Cloud would have preferred. The sun beat down on him from the makeshift window on his second floor lodging. His SOLDIER training failed him, and he hung in bed for a few more minutes, pondering the events of the night.

The journey had taken a toll on all of them, and he found himself waking up with less and less energy. Their two "vacations" upon starting this journey had been short-lived. Their visit to the theme park Gold Saucer ended when they were thrown in prison for a crime that Dyne had committed and the earlier Costa Del Sol stay had ended because they had run into Hojo.

Hojo. Something clicked in Cloud's brain. An epiphany in its purest form. The minute scraps of detail that Cloud had been subconsciously following popped back into his conscious thought, and a scrap of paper hovered in front of his minds eye with the warning: "_He is heading for Nibelheim_".

But all the doubts that he had pondered then resumed their stations now. What was in Nibelheim that could interest Sephiroth now? Surely it was all burned down. Did he hope to find more answers there? And if so, answers to what question? Hojo seemed to know something about the situation… but what relevance he could have still remained outside Cloud's grasp.

He got up out of bed and rubbed his eyes. He had just enough time to put on his pants (which had been washed and dried while he slept) when a knock came at his door.

"Come in," Cloud said casually.

It was Tifa. She was gazing at Cloud, who was suddenly very aware that he was shirtless, with a look of unusual determination.

"Um… you probably know, don't you?" Tifa asked.

Cloud slid his shirt on and then shook his head. "I don't follow you."

"Well… we're getting close, you know. Nibelheim," she half-whispered the last word, as if telling Cloud a dark secret.

Cloud had a sudden flashback, but there were no images, only words, spoken jovially by two people in unison. One voice was his, and the other was unidentified. The words "If it has a reactor, ain't nothing else out there."

Cloud couldn't explain what had just happened to him, but hurried for an answer.

"Uh, yeah. I thought Hojo said something about Sephiroth wanting to see it again," Cloud explained.

"I don't know why he would though," Tifa sighed. "It's… just rubble now."

Cloud nodded. "Well we won't know until we go there now will we?"

Cloud was now the determined one, although the source of his determination remained a mystery because he was all too aware of the fact that they could well be falling for a wild goose chase, or else walking into a trap.

Tifa nodded. "Uh. Okay then. I think we should head there next."

She walked out of his room, but hung her hand on the door and then turned back to Cloud and, with a slight frown, said, "You have so many scars."

"You're getting a few yourself," Cloud nodded.

Tifa nodded and then shut the door.

---

"I am so ready to get out of here," Yuffie exclaimed, grabbing a small slice of cheese from a platter that had been set up in the center of town. Breakfast had been served.

"That's a bit rude," Cait Sith observed. "These people have been great to us."

"Well yeah, but now that our ride is fixed, we can go back to work, saving the planet and all that," Yuffie explained.

Of course Barret cast her a glance that seemed to indicate his suspicion that all she was interested in was leaving the hot and dry desert.

Red walked over to the group as they sat on the rocks to eat their breakfast. His head hung low and his tail seemed to droop a little lower than usual. Cloud let out a low sigh. This was undoubtedly the moment he'd been dreading upon arriving. This would be their last farewell.

"Cloud, everyone…" Red looked around the group. And then something flickered in Red's eyes. "I'd… like to continue traveling with you."

The request was completely the opposite of what Cloud had expected. He honestly didn't know how to respond. Tifa caught this, and took charge.

"What about staying here to protect the canyon?" Tifa asked.

"Grandfather says that I am still too young. I am learning my way in the world and the best way to do that is to travel with you all. Besides, they will always have Greymare," Red nodded.

Cloud regained his composure. "Well… the more the merrier. Of course you are welcome to travel with us."

Red nodded appreciatively.

"Speaking of Greymare, where is he? Doesn't he want to see you off?" Aeris asked.

"He is a quiet loner. I expect we won't hear from him for a while," Red explained. "But we understand each other."

Cloud understood the sentiment, and waved his hand in an approving manner.

"Well, the boys have fixed up our buggy. Should we get going?" Cait Sith asked.

"Yeah. We're heading across the river to the north," Cloud explained.

"Alright," Cait Sith replied. He scratched his head, tilting his misshapen crown slightly. "Uh, why are we heading there?"

"That's where Nibelheim is. That's supposedly where Sephiroth is headed," Cloud explained.

Cait Sith scratched his ear, but nodded in understanding.

---

Scarlet raised her hands to the computer terminal in the Gelnika.

"Damn machine!" She shouted, her throat hoarse after two hours of work. She was not in her usual red dress, but was rather sporting a tanktop and pair of shorts that, to her dismay, she could hardly fit in anymore.

The Gelnika's onboard computer had been on the fritz for several weeks now, and team after team of experts had not been able to uncover why. Scarlet demanded to look at it herself, and desperately tried to recall the lessons she took in college on the engineering and computer science aspects of military vehicles.

"Everything is fine!" She hissed. "You should be working, but you're not!"

There was a low gurgle from above her. She looked up at a ventilation shaft and could swear she saw a fleeting red eye before it dodged her view.

"What the hell?" She cried, pulling a pistol out of a holster slung casually on her hip.

The gurgling noise stopped, and time soon followed. Scarlet waited in that position for several minutes before turning back to the computer screen.

"Cargo…" she said tapping out the appropriate commands on the computer. "…Classified. Of course it is. Well, let's solve that little problem."

She hacked her way into the mainframe using some of the earliest skills she had learned, and found her way back to the same screen, this time with full administrator privileges.

"Cargo… Test subjects? Huge…" Scarlet scanned the computer screen and laughed derisively. "Huge Materia. So… that's what you're up to Hojo."

---

The dune buggy chugged across the river and returned to the dry grass on the other side with little difficulty (save for one moderately soaked Red, who did not seem amused in the slightest). The mountains of Nibel lay just a few miles away… they would be seeing the town any moment.

And then, they did see it. But it was not a pile of rubble, or smoldering ashes, but rather exactly as Cloud had remembered it before the incident. Every building back in its proper place, nothing at all different.

"I thought the town burned down," Aeris observed.

"I can remember the heat on my body…" Cloud explained. "What's going on here?"

---

A closer inspection of the town filled Cloud with confusion. The town had been rebuilt and repopulated in the five years. He had half expected it to remain burned to cinder… but then no. Shinra would have rebuilt it to hide their sins. To hide their greatest failure.

"This is a show," Cloud said. "I want to see the manor. That's the only place that wasn't affected by the fire. The only place they wouldn't need to rebuild."

"A little truth is a dangerous thing to Shinra," Barret nodded. "Let's go."

The gate swung open almost automatically, but the rust of five years neglect was evident. Cloud walked up the familiar cobblestone path, and placed his hand on the manor's doorknob. The doorknob felt hot to his touch, as though the nearby fires still beat down on it. The sensation was over in a moment, and Cloud sighed and turned the knob.

Darkness greeted them, and the silence inside the house seemed to swallow the noise outside. Cloud took a tentative step inside, and the others followed behind him.

"I hate this place," Tifa muttered, shivering.

Cloud was all business, though, as he led them relentlessly down the stairs that led to the basement. There was a thick stench of death in the cavernous lower halls of the manor.

"Phew! What is this, a graveyard?" Yuffie asked.

"Not far from it," Tifa said. "The inhabitants of this house believed that their halls should be tread by their owners even after they died, so they built a mausoleum under the house."

Tifa glanced to the side, where a wooden door lay open.

"As a matter of fact, that should be it," she explained.

The group stepped in, although Aeris had to hold her breath and Yuffie plugged her nose and mouth with both hands. The source of the stench became apparent immediately, all the coffins had been opened and their former inhabitants lay sprawled upon the ground haphazardly. All except for one large coffin the center.

"Who do you suppose is in that one?" Tifa asked.

Before he knew what he was doing, Cloud walked over to the coffin. "Only one way to find out."

He drew his sword and threw off the lid. A flash of red streaked across Cloud's vision and a man in tattered clothing with wild brown hair looked back at him. A long red cape flowed down his back.

"Who disturbs my sleep?" The man asked.

"That's not important. Why are you sleeping in a coffin?" Cloud asked.

"That is equally unimportant," The man replied in a manner that indicated sincerity rather than sarcasm. "I don't know what you are doing here, but you must leave now. This mansion is the beginning of a nightmare."

Cloud nodded. "You can say that again."

The man gave Cloud a quizzical look. "You mean to say you understand the nature of this house?"

"I know what nightmare happened here," Cloud explained. "Five years ago."

The man rubbed his face, and when he did so Cloud noticed that his right hand had gold-plated metallic talons at the end of each finger. "Then… do you know of Lucrecia?"

"Lucrecia?"

"The mother of Sephiroth," The man explained.

"Mother?" Aeris asked. "I thought JENOVA was his mother."

"Interesting theory," The man shook his head. "But no, Lucrecia was his mother. She was beautiful. I saw her surrender herself when I could have stopped it… that is my sin. And yours?"

Cloud explained what had happened, and as he went on, the man's face grew more troubled.

"What you have told me will bring more nightmares tonight…" The man sighed.

"What about you?" Aeris asked. "Who are you?"

"I was once a member of the Shinra Intelligence and Weapons Research Division… the Turks. My name is Vincent Valentine," The man bowed to them. "I gave up my life for the Shinra Corporation… and the life of Lucrecia… I'm sorry, but I don't wish to speak anymore of the subject."

"Wait a minute," Cloud said. "If you have a score to settle with Shinra, then we can use the help."

Vincent pondered this for a moment. "You know so little about me and are already ready to welcome me into your ranks?" There was a pause. "If I were to join you… would we meet Hojo?"

"We're fighting Shinra along with Sephiroth, so eventually we'll have to," Cloud explained.

"Then I will join you. Perhaps by dealing with him, I will be able to rest easily," Vincent said, as he took a holster from the back wall and slid it around his waist. "Now come. Sephiroth awaits."


	26. Chapter 25: Reunion

Chapter XXV: Reunion

The dimly lit basement metamorphosed into a dark cavern seamlessly. The group slowly moved towards whatever awaited them at the back of this long tunnel. Their new addition did not seem to mind the darkness, his few human features contorting as the scarce torchlight reflected shadows across his grim visage.

"Why do you want to see Hojo so badly?" Yuffie asked.

Vincent did not answer directly. He simply glanced off in the direction of their waiting prey and rubbed his good hand over his claw.

"I can only venture a guess," Red nodded. "But I imagine you and I share a similar knowledge of his methods."

"Human experimentation," Aeris scoffed. "What is wrong with that man?"

Vincent wrapped his cloak around his clawed arm, as if trying to hide one of the ugly sins that he had been previously speaking about.

"I was… given what Hojo considered a gift," Vincent said softly. "Or a punishment."

"The man's off his rocker," Cait Sith announced more cheerily than Cloud would have liked. "Always been a little south of the border. One soldier short of an army, eh?"

There was another cold stare from the dark eyes, but it flashed at Cloud rather than at Cait Sith.

"We should probably just move on," Cloud explained as he noticed a small wooden door ahead in the distance. "I think that's our destination."

Tifa crept up to Cloud and stared at the door with a mixture of fear and longing.

"Are we sure we want to do this?" Tifa asked.

Barret answered for Cloud. "The sooner we deal with _him_ the sooner we can get back to our real work, trying to save the planet from Shinra."

Vincent moved to the front of the group. "It won't end here. If it were that easy to stop Sephiroth, he would already be dead."

"We have to try at least," Cloud protested.

"By all means," Vincent nodded. "But it will do you little good."

Barret's face flashed angrily at Vincent, but Yuffie shook her head and patted his shoulder.

"Now's not the time, right? Think happy thoughts, okay?" Yuffie pleaded.

"Happy happy," Tifa repeated with a bland sarcasm that barely masked her contempt at the thought of thinking anything remotely near "happy" at the moment.

Cloud rested his hand on the wooden door and pushed it open slowly.

The candle-lit library was the only greeting he received. Books lay scattered about in no particular order, but all clearly read and discarded. Flies circled a long-decaying meal tray on the corner table. Two very nasty spiders had created webs along either side of the banister, causing Yuffie to cower into Aeris for protection.

"Is he not here?" Red asked.

"Oh no," came a voice. "I'm present."

From a corridor to their left, came the black-caped man they'd been chasing for more than a month. His long silvery hair cascaded down his back, his green eyes alight with malevolent arrogance, his lips contorted into a wicked smile.

"Sephiroth…" Cloud cursed.

"Being here brings back memories," Sephiroth grinned as his hand slid carelessly along a row of books. "So… are you going to participate in the Reunion?"

"Reunion?" Cloud asked.

"Oh, but Jenova will be at the Reunion. She will join… a calamity from the skies."

Cloud subconsciously took a step closer to Sephiroth.

"Jenova… a calamity? You mean…"

Red finished his thought for Cloud. "She was not an Ancient, then."

Sephiroth's face changed suddenly into a look of bored contempt. "… I see. I fear you have no right to participate then. I will go north, past Mt. Nibel. If you wish to see for yourself, then follow."

Sephiroth rose into the air and hovered slowly and menacingly through the group and out the door; a phantom of whatever the man had once been.

"A calamity from the skies? A Reunion?" Aeris thought.

---

"Another addition to the daily freak show, I see," Rufus said, upon looking at the documents that Scarlet uncovered during her repairs of the Gelnika.

"What do you think, sir?" Scarlet asked.

"It is not an easy thing for me to admit when I've been wrong, but I have. I want that ship scuttled. Our Turks can handle that job. As for Hojo… well I keep my friends close and my enemies closer. If he wants to play God, he can do it on his own time. He'll fall in line sooner or later," Rufus explained.

"But sir, he's clearly become a danger to this mission," Scarlet explained. "And to our company."

"But he's the only one who knows anything about the original Neo-Midgar plan or the Ancients. He's essential," Rufus said.

"And what of me?" Scarlet asked.

"You'll get your funding and any Huge Materia we uncover. I hope that will suffice," Rufus said.

Scarlet nodded, but in doing so caught something out of her peripheral vision. She turned towards the APC door and saw Tseng entering.

"More news about the Corneo situation?" Rufus asked.

"Better than that. We think we've found out Sephiroth's target," Tseng replied.

Rufus stood up so suddenly he would have knocked his chair over had it not been bolted to the ground. "The Promised Land?"

"Maybe, but I doubt it. But this is definitely where he's heading," Tseng handed Rufus an envelope. Rufus tore it open and perused the documents. Scarlet didn't rise from her seat, but vainly cast her eyes skyward in hopes of catching a hint.

"We'll need to speak to an old friend of ours," Rufus ordered.

"That drunk pilot?" Tseng asked.

"He may be just the man we need for this sort of mission," Rufus explained.

"But sir, the Gelnika carrier…" Tseng was interrupted by Rufus chuckling.

"Oh yeah, I haven't mentioned that to you. Scarlet, you can fill him in on the details," Rufus said as he left the APC and headed for a shower.

---

Vincent's eyes burned bright red at the sunlight as they exited the mansion. It was clear he had not seen daylight in many years.

"So, we'll need to cross Mt. Nibel then. What's on the other side?" Barret asked.

"Rocket Town," Red answered. "The place where Shinra began… and ended their dreams of outer space exploration."

"Yeah, and a backwater sod-heap to boot," Yuffie groaned. "Bunch of redneck farmers."

"We'll have to leave the buggy here. She won't make the trek across the mountains," Cloud explained.

"You mean we gotta hike too?! I thought our walking days were over," Yuffie groaned.

"You hated the buggy. You always got motion sick," Cloud reminded.

"Yeah… but at least my feet didn't ache like crazy afterwords," Yuffie pouted.

"Aye lass, there's just no pleasing you is there?" Cait Sith groaned.

Tifa giggled and Barret guffawed, but Aeris looked at the mountains ahead, repeating the same word under her breath.

"Reunion."


	27. Chapter 26: Chaos

Chapter XXVI: Chaos

Mt. Nibel was as unforgiving and harsh an environment as Cloud remembered. Biting winds caused the mountain to have a constantly cool climate, the Mako Reactor nearby had pumped any life and beauty that had once been in the mountains and transformed the rock into an ash grey mound of decay.

The initial climb proved Cloud's theory that the dune buggy would not be able to handle the mountain trek. The narrow twisting path proved as impenetrable as the hanging fog that bathed the mountain side. More than once, Cloud almost lost his footing and tumbled into the abyss below. Had it not been for quick thinking on Barret's part, he would have surely been killed numerous times.

The dark misty mountain did not seem to trouble Vincent, who appeared to be enjoying the relief from the sun's rays which had earlier bothered him so much. Yuffie was the first to notice this, and she clung onto Aeris's arm, asking her whether she thought Vincent was a vampire. Aeris chuckled, but Vincent did not seem amused.

Cloud stopped dead in his tracks when the soft scuffling sound of his boots hitting the rock changed into a dull thump and creak. They had reached the wooden bridge that connected the north slope with the south.

"This is the bridge that collapsed when Sephiroth came here with us," Tifa said, immediately recognizing the structure.

"Let's hope we do not have a repeat performance then," Red observed as he moved his way to the front.

"Red, what are you doing?" Cloud asked.

"I know how to survive, should the bridge collapse from under me. I am blessed with agility that you humans cannot match. I will be the first to cross," Red explained.

"Wait a minute!" Cait Sith called. "Shouldn't it be me?"

The others looked back at the stuffed cat, as though they had forgotten he was with them.

"Why you?" Barret asked.

"Oh, I don't know. First off, I'm a machine that is impervious to death. Second, I'm clearly the lightest one here. And third, I'm a bloody machine that's bloody impervious to death!" Cait Sith seemed offended they hadn't considered him first.

Red looked at the stuffed cat, and then down at his Mog companion.

"He does not seem so agile," Red quipped.

"I'm not glued to him by my arse!" Cait Sith retorted as he hopped down from the Mog.

Cait walked towards the bridge and looked down into the valley below, which was barely visible beneath the consuming mist.

"Well, if I do fall from here, I'll have a long time to say goodbye," Cait Sith chuckled.

"Be careful!" Aeris called, as Cait Sith made his first few steps onto the bridge. Within moments he was consumed by the mist.

"Keep talking, we can't see you," Tifa called.

"Aye lass!" Cait replied. "It's fairly rickety, but the boards seem to be holding."

"For a ten pound toy," Cloud noted. "I wonder if that'll be true for us."

"Uh… well this is certainly an interesting change of pace," Cait called back. "There's solid footing. Hey, I think I've made it to the other side!"

"Okay," Red nodded. "I'll go next. Let's cross one at a time to minimize our risk."

The misty crossing was slow, but safe. Cloud was next after Red, and then Barret. Cait Sith's Mog was next in line, although it apparently had trouble grasping the concept as it bounded gaily along the bridge causing it to shake fiercely. Vincent was next in line, only bothering to speak once he had made it across, and only to call the next in line.

Yuffie agreed to go next, but halfway across the bridge she collapsed and clung to the rope suspension for dear life. Aeris agreed to meet her and escort her the rest of the way. Tifa was the last to go, and made it across the bridge without incident.

"Well that's great," Cait Sith chuckled. "Now what?"

"Now comes the hard part," Cloud explained.

"What's that?" Cait asked.

"Getting down the other side," Tifa replied coolly, looking at the sloping mountainside in front of them.

---

"Reno! Look at this!" Rude called to Reno, who was sitting two seats away from Rude in the transport segment of the PC-132 Carrier. The chopper blades almost drowned him out, and the headphones proved essential.

Reno scooted closer to Rude and looked at the report that he'd been scanning.

"This report says that he's Wutai," Reno nodded.

"He might be. He could just as easily be anywhere else though," Rude asked.

"Sounds like Shinra is trying to get our goat and force us to do work on our day off," Reno laughed. "Pay it no mind. It's a false report."

"You're adamant about this aren't you?" Rude asked.

"I get three vacation days every quarter. I'm sure as hell gonna use them," Reno replied, sitting back down as the chopper flew over the western ocean.

---

The only way down the back-side of Nibel was through a series of misty caves. But rather than being shielded somewhat from the harsh environment outside the cavern system, it seemed as though the caves were the origin of the choking fog.

"God, I can barely see a foot in front of me," Tifa cursed.

"Something has created this fog," Aeris shuddered.

"Yeah, it's called condensation," Yuffie retorted.

"No, she's right," Vincent replied coolly. "Something's unnatural about this mist."

"I feel it too," Red nodded. "We are nearing whatever created this fog."

"Well I hope we slide right on by it without incident, frankly. I doubt we'd be able to fight it," Cloud replied.

The chamber seemed to stretch on forever. What Tifa and Cloud recalled as a plummet of no more than a mile seemed to stretch on for ages. The fog was not merely condensed water; something in the air gave it a toxic quality. It could barely be breathed in without causing pain and exhaustion. The pain of breathing choked the lungs of those who descended into the caves.

Yuffie fell to the ground first, unable to bear it any longer.

"Yuffie! Get up!" Tifa shouted.

But Yuffie did not respond. Surprisingly, the large Barret was the next to collapse from the pain of breathing. Aeris fell soon after and Cloud found himself growing intolerably dizzy. He lifted Yuffie and instructed Vincent to carry Barret. Cait Sith's Mog pulled Aeris over his mechanical shoulders and they continued towards the end.

Cloud noticed the fog began to change color. It went from black to grey… and then white. They were nearing the exit. But it surely couldn't be day already?

Suddenly the mist seemed to dim, Cloud felt his lungs draw clean air for the first time in seemingly hours. And he looked up when he heard Red's attentive hiss. A massive insect-like beast roared threateningly above them. It must have stood twenty feet tall and stood on six long clawed legs, with the front two slashing downward in jagged blades. It reminded Cloud of an overgrown Praying Mantis.

"So, the beast shows itself," Vincent noted.

Cloud raised his sword and slashed at the monsters leg, but the armored exoskeleton deflected the blow as casually as if swatting away a pesky mosquito. Vincent fired on the beast with his sidearm, but the bullets too darted to the side with a defeated _ping _sound, and collided into the cavern wall with a sickening crack. Cait Sith stood frozen on the spot, unable to do anything to the massive beast.

"What are we to do?" Cait Sith whined, curling its tail between its legs.

The Mog ran up to the monster, after setting Aeris down, and pummeled it with its massive fists. Cloud heard a snap, which he recognized instantly as bone. The robot had dealt some damage.

"Good on ya, Mog!" Cait Sith cheered through his megaphone. "Keep bashing that brute!"

Unfortunately Mog was too busy paying attention to his partner to notice the beasts enraged counter-attack, using its broken leg to kick the simple-minded toy into the cavern wall. The Mog let out a pathetic groan of pain and the damaged part of the beasts leg broke off, sending the monster toppling to the ground.

Vincent took the opportunity to fire three rapid shots into the stomach of the monster , piercing the vital organs of the beast. With a shrieking hiss, the beast exhaled its last breath.

The mist did not subside however.

"Isn't it over?" Cloud asked.

"Something else is still here," Red growled, his head low to the ground.

As sudden as the first had appeared, four more appeared in front of them, and tailing behind was one who stood at least twice their size.

"We've stumbled upon a nest," Red hissed, baring its fangs. "Only these are stronger than Zoloms."

"We'll never defeat them all!" Cait Sith whined.

The largest moved its way to the forefront, clearly the mother protecting her young. It mentally communicated its desire for vengeance over its fallen young; engrained in the standing foes the need for blood to slake blood. It dove, mandibles first, for Yuffie.

"Enough of this!" Vincent shouted.

With three rapid bursts from his handgun he leapt at the monster. The bullets tore through the skull of the beast, but did little more than annoy the monster. However, it stopped on the spot and looked at Vincent, whose body seemed to be undergoing a transformation.

The skin turned dark and bluish… then red and finally settling on an off-color purple. His cape furled behind him into a long red mane. His face contorted into that of a demon, complete with fangs and glowing red eyes.

The smaller of these monsters backed away, and the mother would have fled if not bound by her duty of protection. It hissed in retort, attempting to seem more intimidating then the Hell-beast which stood before her. Where once had stood a man, a demon now waited, challenging this beast to a duel.

The beast lunged in, and with one loud bellow engulfed the cavern in fire, incinerating the mother and her young in a deafening chorus of shrieks, which reverberated uncannily; bounding off the walls.

The mist cleared and when it did, Vincent Valentine stood where the demon had been.

"What… in the world was that?" Cloud asked, unable to hide his fear.

Vincent turned to Cloud.

"That… is punishment for my sin," Vincent replied coolly as he exited the cavern.


	28. Chapter 27: Cid

Chapter XXVII: Cid

They reached the base of the mountain by sunrise. Barret had woken up, but the two girls were still sick from the mist. Barret, while conscious, was also nauseous. They decided to take a day off and set up camp near a river. Red cooled himself off as the sun grew higher in the sky, enjoying the last bit of warmth. They were well into autumn now, and soon the journey would include having to deal with the freezing cold.

Cloud lamented the loss of the buggy as most of their camping supplies had been in it and in their haste, nobody had thought to grab the bag. Barret's backpack was the only thing left, and there was only one tent and two sleeping bags.

"Well, the ladies are the only ones that need the sleeping bags, I think," Cait Sith noted.

"Right. I'll set up the tent and we can get them inside," Cloud nodded.

Part of him missed the days when his party was small enough to only need one tent. The addition of the bubbly thief Yuffie, the robot toy Cait Sith, his Mog companion and the mysterious genetically altered former-Turk Vincent, had expanded their needs.

Vincent offered Cloud help in setting the tent up in a nonverbal way; lifting the poles necessary to assemble it. Cloud appreciated the help, but was still wary at what had happened in the cave. Vincent seemed to catch this apprehension, but said nothing.

Tifa sat with Aeris and Yuffie, listening to their breathing and checking their pulses. "I think Yuffie got the worst of it."

It was almost ironic considering how they had met, that now it was Tifa taking care of Yuffie. Tifa untied the bag of medicine from Yuffie's waste and began examining what she had on her.

"Some of these herbs I've never seen before," Tifa noted. "Red, can you help me?"

Red was still splashing away in the river. Tifa looked back to see that he had caught a fish in his mouth and was now feasting on his reward. Red looked up at the mention of his name and smiled a slightly bloody smile. "Ah, medicine. Yes."

Red trotted over to Tifa and looked at the plants that lay on the ground before him.

"Hmm… I am not sure of the nature of the mist. If Barret awoke then perhaps it will clear out of their system, but I would make a compound of basil and that plant with the blue-tipped leaves. It's Cyllian Root. Very potent antidote. Make enough for all of us, I don't want any of us getting sick later in the day," Red instructed.

"Thank you, Red," Tifa nodded.

Red returned to finish his breakfast. The tent was up and Cloud began to unroll the sleeping bags inside the tent. Barret sat on a log, his head swimming.

"Barret, are you going to be alright?" Cloud called.

"Yeah. I'm sick to my stomach, but I'll be okay," Barret nodded.

Vicent lifted Yuffie up and set her in one of the sleeping bags. Cloud did the same with Aeris. Tifa went in with them.

"Do you boys mind if I stay with them, and maybe get a little sleep?" Tifa asked after taking her sip of the compound and handing the cup to Cloud.

Cloud took his sip and passed the drink to Vincent. Vincent shook his head. "I don't need any."

Cloud shrugged his shoulders and turned back to Tifa. "Sure thing. Take a break. I'll take the first watch and we'll just get a fresh start tomorrow."

"Without the buggy we're running low on food," Tifa sighed. "I hope Rocket Town isn't too far from here."

Tifa zipped up the tent and Vincent and Cloud walked over to Barret. Cloud handed him the cup and he took a sip.

"Damn!" Barret cursed. "That stuff better work, I'm already nauseous."

"Red, you're the last man standing," Cloud called.

Red walked over and sipped the antidote from the cup as Cloud lowered it.

"Okay. I suggest we bottle the rest in case we need it. No sense in wasting our scarce supplies," Red explained.

Cloud nodded and poured the remaining liquid into a small vial from Yuffie's medicine pouch.

"So, we're taking it easy today, huh?" Barret asked.

"Yeah. Everybody get some rest. We'll get a move on tomorrow. Hopefully make it into Rocket Town by noon," Cloud explained.

"Of course it'd be about a two hour drive if we still had the buggy," Cait Sith sighed. "But a six hour walk is nothing we can't handle."

---

Elmyra had noticed them for a while now. The men waiting near her house in the Sector 5 slums. It had been more than two months since her daughter, Aeris, had left with AVALANCHE. These visitors had stopped appearing in her neighborhood for a short time.

But a few days ago, they returned. The young man pretending to talk on a cell phone while watching the house, the sweet girl who came to call offering some trumped up service… just to get into the house.

Elmyra ignored these people. Aeris was no longer with her, and she had nothing they could want. Which meant the only reason they could be here was the little girl, Marlene. And she would not let anything happen to her.

---

The sun set faster than Cloud expected over the camp site. He and Barret gathered a few sticks and made a fire. Cloud had initially protested, since their current condition left them without means to make a fast getaway if they were spotted, but Barret pointed out that lately the Turks seemed to be preoccupied with other things.

Vincent had been sitting by the river all day, seemingly in meditation. He sat back against a log and just stared at the water. Cloud had been meaning to find time during the day to ask him for more details about what had happened in the cave, but he never seemed to gather the nerve to do it.

There was something about Vincent that intimidated even Cloud. He was an ex-SOLDIER, had fought countless monsters, directly challenged the best Shinra Inc. had to offer and even faced the greatest SOLDIER who ever lived, Sephiroth, and yet here he was intimidated by one of his comrades.

The man was surely a force to be reckoned with aside from the cavern incident. He was a former-Turk, which meant he had brains and combat skill. He had a prosthetic claw for an arm, and wore dark shrouded clothes and a blood red cape. And he had this expression of complete apathy on his face no matter what was going on in the world around him.

Still, the nature of the strange demon that took over Vincent's form was yet to be identified. He couldn't tell if Vincent could control this outbreak or if it was involuntary. And he could not tell if it was just a physical form change or if his mentality changed as well.

Vincent must have grown weary of having his new comrade stare at him because he said: "It's not a threat… what I can do. I do have a modicum of control over it, although I cannot always control when I transform."

Cloud breathed a low sigh of relief, although this knowledge didn't really do much to comfort him. Figuring that dialogue had now been opened, he pressed on.

"Is… that what Hojo did you?" Cloud asked.

"Among other things," Vincent tossed the question aside in a manner that indicated that he would not tolerate further interrogation along these lines, but did not dismiss conversation entirely.

Cloud chose a different approach. "So is it a separate entity inside you or?"

Strike two. Vincent did not seem to want to answer that either. "It is a mystery."

Cloud was not sure what Vincent was expecting, although he felt that he was getting colder with each inquiry. He decided one last bid for a conversation.

"You mentioned Lucrecia. Who exactly is she?" Cloud asked.

Vincent continued to stare at Cloud, but said nothing. He was not sure if he had struck out or if Vincent was pondering the question. Vincent sighed, either indicating that he could not give a dismiss to this question, or that he had grown tired of trying.

"Lucrecia… She was a scientist with Shinra. I was set to her defense, her bodyguard. She worked with Dr. Hojo in Nibelheim. From there… things went downhill. Hojo experimented on Lucrecia's unborn child, causing Lucrecia much pain. And the end result…"

"Sephiroth," Cloud finished. "But then why does Sephiroth think that JENOVA was his mother?"

"Lucrecia died during childbirth… or at least that's the official story. He never knew his real mother. Shinra probably thought it was a security risk. The child was brought up as a soldier, made to be a tool of war. Perhaps when he found the records of the experiment done on him, he considered the JENOVA cells to be the true architect of his design, rather than the mere procreation of a man and woman," Vincent suggested.

Somehow Cloud felt simultaneous pity and hatred for Sephiroth. One the one hand, this knowledge had made him feel special, empowered. And no matter how strong he was, the knowledge that he was perhaps unique drove him to a point where he did those unspeakable acts against his family, friends, and hometown. And yet, under the circumstances, perhaps there was a shred of pity lingering in Cloud's chest.

Cloud did his best to extinguish that pity. With it, he would never have the strength to finish him off.

---

Evening became morning so fast that even the sturdier of the group seemed to lag in their step. Barret and Tifa awoke with a yawn, and Red, who had taken the last of the night watches, stretched his legs and fumbled around looking for the river. Aeris had taken quite well to the medicine and rose with renewed energy. However Yuffie required the help of Vincent and Cloud to even get on her feet.

"So, how far away is this Rocket Town, exactly?" Yuffie asked, groggily.

"Roughly 50 miles around the bend of the mountains," Cait Sith said.

"Well," sighed Barret. "At least we'll be able to get a decent night's sleep there."

---

Rocket Town was a larger community than the group had figured. It was less of a town and more of a city, although the center piece of this town was well seen throughout the few miles of farmland houses and private residences.

A massive rocket, tilted slightly onto a support beam, loomed threateningly over the town, undoubtedly where the town got its namesake from.

"Shinra 26?" Cait Sith read.

"Shinra had a space program?" Yuffie asked.

"Heh… back when there was money in it," Cait Sith hissed sorely. "Of course nobody cares anymore."

"Stop." Cloud said abruptly, putting his hand in front of Yuffie.

"Hey, watch your hands mister!" Yuffie snapped.

"Quiet!" Cloud ordered again in a sharp whisper.

They heard footsteps approaching. Cloud made a hand gesture and the group took cover behind a nearby shop. Rude and Reno strolled down the dirt road, walking away from the rocket.

"Bit of a drab delay in our vacation, isn't it?" Reno chuckled.

"The old pilot still hangs out in that damn rocket?" Rude asked. "Man, what is the president thinking coming here?"

"He needs the airplane," Reno laughed. "Can you believe it? The 202 Airborne is all currently deployed, the Gelnika Carrier was sunk, and the Highwind is having engine trouble."

"Still? I thought we fixed that?" Rude asked.

"Run of bad luck. She's an old ship," Reno continued.

"So he wants to take the airplane from Cid. Doubt he'll like it very much," Rude noted.

"Who cares? He won't have much of a choice but part with it," Reno observed. "Come on, let's get to the pub and grab a pint before this all goes down."

The two Turks walked past the street and disappeared down a side street.

"Why does Rufus suddenly need an airplane?" Cloud asked.

"They must have figured something out about Sephiroth… or the Promised Land," Aeris thought.

"Yeah, but still… Airplane?" Cloud thought.

"He mentioned a pilot," Vincent said.

"Must be Cid Highwind," Cait Sith observed. "You all didn't appear to be in the know, but Cid was the man behind that rocket."

"He designed it?" Yuffie asked.

"Great engineer, and better pilot. Designed the Highwind airship, that rocket, even did some work with the 202 back in his glory days," Cait Sith explained.

"And now he sits around in the rocket," Tifa sighed. "Poor guy."

"Well if Rufus wants the airplane then I'm damn sure we don't want him to have it. Let's go talk to this Cid guy and see what's up," Cloud suggested.

They walked down the main road and as they drew closer to the rocket it seemed to magnify in size exponentially. First 10 feet tall, then 100, then 1000. They came to the walkway beneath the rocket, and saw that the only way up was a very tall ladder.

"Uh… can I please stay down here?" Yuffie asked.

"I must pass as well. I'm afraid I am ill-suited to climbing ladders," Red growled.

"That's fine, you can stay down here. Keep an eye out for Shinra," Tifa ordered, suddenly taking charge of the group as she began to climb the ladder. Cloud went behind her, followed by Barret and then Vincent. Aeris took up the rear.

They reached the top of the catwalk after what seemed like ages of climbing. Yuffie, Red and Cait Sith seemed like ants to them. The door to the rocket was opened at the end of the catwalk, and inside they could hear a man pacing… seeming to talk to himself.

Cloud walked in first. The man, obviously Cid, turned and gave Cloud a quick look. "SOLDIER, huh? So I guess the President is here then?"

Cloud shook his head. "I'm… retired. I wanted to speak with you."

"Now isn't a good time. I'm expecting the President of Shinra," Cid said sharply.

Cid was clearly an older man. His face was slightly wrinkled, he had five o'clock shadow and hair that was blonde, and yet graying. He had a long spear strapped to his back and wore goggles on his head, just above his eyes.

"Listen we needed to ask you a favor," Cloud said, pushing on, despite the man's hostility.

"And I said now isn't a good time. Now if you like we can have a more friendly chit-chat on my terms at my house a little later on. It's right below this damn thing you can't miss it," Cid spoke slowly and deliberately with a tone of faux-sweetness… much in the same way one talks to a child who doesn't quite understand the grown-ups. "In the meanwhile, git. I've nothing to say to you."

Cloud shook his head, gave the old codger up as a lost cause and left the rocket. As he left he heard Cid mumble to himself.

"That's what we need. A young president. Fresh blood."

"Did he say anything useful?" Barret asked.

"Told us to wait at his house, just below the rocket," Cloud sighed.

"Great," Tifa rolled her eyes. "And now we get to climb all the way back down that ladder for nothing."

The residence of Cid Highwind was much more cozy than Cloud would have expected from his first impression of the man. The reason for this soon became apparent when a woman walked in from the kitchen carrying a tray of food.

"Cid, is that… oh!" She started, almost dropping the tray. "Are you with Shinra? Is the President here?"

"No, no, relax. Your husband told us to wait here. We're asking him a favor," Cloud explained.

"Oh… okay. Sorry, we're already expecting some company," The woman said, setting the tray down on the nearby table. "I'm afraid there's not enough on the tray to feed all of you."

"Oh, don't worry, we've eaten," Cloud said, casting a threatening glance in the direction of Yuffie who was steadily edging herself closer to the tray.

"Well, make yourself at home, please," the woman smiled. "I'm Shera."

"Pleased to meet you," Cloud nodded. "I'm-"

But before Cloud could introduce himself, the front door opened and slammed shut. Cloud turned around and saw Cid walking in with a sour look on his face, and this was directed at him.

"You actually decided to come, how thoughtful of you to pay me a visit," Cid sneered sarcastically. "Woman! Tea!"

Cid shouted this with a loud bark that caused Yuffie and Tifa to screw their faces up in contempt and Aeris to scowl reprovingly.

"I assume you all drink tea?" Cid asked, daring anyone to contradict him. "Or is my hospitality not good enough for you?"

Barret walked up and slammed his fist on Cid's table. "You got a real attitude problem, Gramps."

"Barret!" Cloud shouted. "Cool it. He's entitled to be a bit edgy when we're in his house."

Cid nodded and for the first time in their short acquaintance Cloud saw a look of respect flood over Cid's face. "You see, now you're a man who understands respect. That, in turn, makes me owe you respect. Perhaps I've misjudged you."

Cloud sat down in front of Cid. "Listen… we have a favor to ask."

"I'm listening," Cid nodded patiently. He turned to the kitchen and in a voice of stone he interrogated the woman. "How long does it take to boil water, Shera?"

The woman seemed to double the pace, even though there was no way she could possibly make water boil any faster.

"Sir, with all due respect the way a man treats his wife is a reflection of his character," Red noted.

"Wife? Shera?! Hahaha!" Cid's laugh was a dark, cruel laugh. "You hear that Shera? They think we're married. Isn't that sweet?"

Aeris saw a single tear slide down the womans face at this remark, but she did not draw attention to it.

"No Shera ain't my wife. She's my… shoot what do you call a live in woman who you don't sleep with? Assisstant, I guess?" Cid asked casually as though he and Cloud were old school friends. "Anyways no, we're not married. But you were saying, you needed a favor?"

"Uh… yes. It's fairly complicated, but we need the use of your airplane. We can pay… sort of," Cloud said, realizing that his request was very great, his reasoning non-existent and his terms pathetic. What was he doing?

"The Little Bronco?" Cid laughed, only this time it was a jovial, kind-hearted laugh. "Sorry, son, but I'm not renting that out to nobody. That's my last ticket to the sky ever since Shinra took my Highwind and my one shot at space away from me."

Shera set another tray with a teakettle and several cups on the table. Cid then did something that none of them expected.

He smiled slightly, looked up at her and said without a hint of sarcasm, and said: "Thank you, Shera."

Shera blushed slightly, tried at a smile, but was afraid of what might happen, and returned to the kitchen.

"You wouldn't let it go under any circumstances? You could even go with us if needed," Cloud tried.

"And where would this fantastic voyage take us?" Cid asked.

There was another flaw in the plan that Cloud did not expect.

"We'd need a bit of time to figure that out," was the best he could reply.

Cid gave Cloud a look that perfectly blended amusement, exasperation and pity. "Well when you figure that out , you give me a call. In the meantime, I'm expecting President Rufus Shinra. You all finish your tea, I'll be outside waiting."

And with that, Cid stood up and walked back out the front door. Shera sighed and stared at the tray. "He didn't even touch his tea."

"Ma'am," Aeris said softly. "With all due respect, how can you let him treat you like that?"

Shera sighed. "I deserve it."

"What could you have done to deserve such treatment?" Red asked.

"I ruined his dream. It was all my fault…" Shera seemed ready to burst into tears at any moment, but she pressed on.

"Cid designed the Shinra rockets, with the help of Palmer and a few other engineers. The only rockets that were actually built, rather than just simulated, were Shinra 25 and Shinra 26. The Shinra 25 didn't meet the safety regulations, so for the Shinra 26, an entire team of safety inspectors were called in. I was one of them.

On the day of the launch I was running through my final tests and…"

---

Cid sat in the seat of the Shinra 26. He was strapped in, his goggles on, and all of his systems checked out. Soon, he would do what no man had ever done before. He would break free of the planet's gravity and become an interstellar explorer.

"Captain Highwind, things look all clean on my end. We're ready to start the ignition sequence if you're all good?" Came a voice over the radio.

"I am fit as a fiddle Mark. Let's see if this boat can fly," Cid chuckled. He could not remember being happier in his entire life.

"Roger that, Captain. Ignition startup has begun," the voice replied.

"Belay that! We've got a problem in the 02 tanks," came a womans voice.

Cid recognized the woman as one of the safety inspectors. But he had thought they had already finished. What was she doing there?

"Didn't copy, could you repeat Shera?" the voice asked.

"I said belay that. 02 tank number 7 is giving me faulty numbers. We need to regulate the pressure," Shera said.

"Cannot comply, Shera. We've already started ignition sequence. Captain Cid the only option would be to abort Launch sequence," the voice said.

"We're not aborting the Launch sequence. When in sam hell is Shinra ever gonna pay for this again?" Cid said with a slight chuckle, masking his fear. "Shera, just go on and go. One tank won't ruin the mission."

"But if the pressure gets too high it could explode! That would cause serious problem!" Shera pleaded. "Just give me another five minutes."

"Negative!" the voice on the other end of the radio was now panicking. "Shera the ignition timer is at T minus two minutes thirty seconds. You have to get out of there."

Before Shera could retort, Cid took control of the radio. "Shera get your ass out of there now! When ignition starts that place is gonna be hotter than an oven. You'll be roasted alive!"

"I have to do this! Don't worry, I'm almost -!" Shera was cut off by static.

"Damn it! Communication to that section of the rocket has been cut off. T minus one and a quarter Captain," the man said.

"Damn it… tell me I don't have to do this…" Cid whined.

"T minus thirty, Captain."

"This is my dream… space travel… I'd be making history…." Cid moaned.

"T minus twenty, Sir."

"My dream… Damn it, God, my dream…"

"T minus ten! Cid we need an answer!"

"Abort!" Cid shouted, with unrepressed anguish. "Goddamn it abort!"

The whirring machinery and instrument panels wretched to a halt. The ignition spluttered for a split second and the craft shuddered for a second, before collapsing back to earth and tilting onto the side of the walkway.

"Launch sequence aborted Captain…" the voice said in an unmistakably miserable tone.

"Yeah…" Cid choked out, hiding his tears with his hands. "Just great…"

---

"That's why I don't care how he treats me," Shera said. "He saved my life, and gave up his dream to do it."

The group's reactions were identical… stunned. This was a difficult situation to react to. Seeming to save them the duty of casting judgment, the front door slammed yet again and Cid entered. There was a strange look of childish glee as he walked in with a man clinging to his shoulder. A man that the group recognized as Palmer.

"This is a great day for us, old friend!" Cid laughed. "Shera! Get the man some tea. Hell get him a beer!"

"Hahah!" Palmer laughed. "That's the Cid I remember! You go talk with the President though! I'll be fine, seriously. I think I'll go have a look at the Little Bronco out back and see what she's been up to."

"Still flies as smooth as ever old dog. Maybe I'll take you on a flight when this is all done so we can celebrate!" Cid laughed as he walked out the front door.

Palmer turned to the group standing by the back wall now.

"Oh. Well fancy meeting you here," Palmer said, clearly as unsure how to handle this situation as they were. "I'll… um… just be out back… you know… fresh air…"

Palmer made a hasty retreat to the back yard.

"I don't trust that man," Shera said, her eyes cold and suspicious. "If I didn't know better I'd say he's trying to steal it."

"Well," Barret said pointedly. "Let's have a look see…"

---

"So you're not restarting the space program?" Cid asked.

"Not at the moment, no," Rufus said. "We need to borrow your Little Bronco."

"Oh boy…" Cid groaned.

"We're tracking Sephiroth and we think we know where he is heading, but we need your plane to-"

"Shinra always needs more of me. First you took the Highwind, then you stole my shot at space travel. And now you're gonna take my wings? Forget it Rufus. I'm not an employee anymore. I'm just an old pilot with nowhere to fly too," Cid grunted.

"And you forget that it was because of Shinra that you were allowed to become a pilot," Rufus retorted sharply.

Cid took two very decisive steps up to Rufus. "Allowed to? You little shit, I'm a genius because I worked my ass off, and you're president because your old man kicked the bucket."

Tseng moved in front of Rufus and gave him a heavy shove backwards. "Watch how you address the President."

With unexpected dexterity, Cid grabbed Tsengs hand and bent it backwards, causing the Turk to buckle in pain.

"Before I was a pilot, I was Special Operative in a local militia, so keep your hands to yourself," Cid spat.

Tseng spun round and was about to punch Cid, but Rufus caught hold of his wrist this time. "Save your energy, Tseng. I can tell a lost cause when I-"

But the sound of a motor whirring and several loud shrieks filled the air. The three men looked behind the house to see the Little Bronco sailing through the sky, around the rocket and back towards them. Cid decided to take this opportunity to exit and jumped up onto the low-flying craft with impressive accuracy.

"Shoot it down!" Rufus shouted.

A hidden platoon of soldiers began firing wildly at the Little Bronco. On top of the plane was the group, with Tifa feverishly trying to work the controls and Palmer and Cloud wrestling each other. Cloud finally pushed Palmer off of the plane just as a well placed bullet hit a rear rotor, causing it to sputter, smoke and stop. They crash landed off the shore of the continent and the engines died.

The red airplane was more then just that. It also doubled as a boat and was lovingly crafted by Cid himself, his signature lining the side in grey lettering. They sat on the ruined airplane for a moment, pondering their condition and then Cid stood up.

"Hell of an exit," he shouted. "She won't fly anymore."

"Sorry. Palmer was trying to steal it. We were just trying to help," Cloud explained.

"I believe it. That Rufus kid wanted it too. I guess I'm no longer in his good graces," Cid groaned. "So where are you numbskulls headed?"

"Numbskulls?" Cait Sith asked, slightly offended.

"You're taking on Shinra, in this day and age. Yeah, you're numbskulls. And I guess I'm one too," Cid laughed.


	29. Chapter 28: Godo

Chapter XXVIII: Godo

[Author's Note: I was originally not planning to write this chapter, but I figured that if I didn't the novelization would not be complete. However the segments taken from the Turks point of view are directly taken from my first fanfiction Day Off (with some minor tweaks).]

---

Cid was not the most attentive of audiences. Cloud repeated for what must have been his fourth time the details of their adventure thus far. Cid, however, seemed to have a different take on various choices made by Cloud and the party.

He would frequently interrupt Cloud to make his useless suggestions, such as: "you should have taken a fishing ship over from Junon, it would have saved you time," and "well if it were ME I'd have stopped this Sephy-something from leaving right then and there!"

Cloud did not lament the absence of Cid up to this point. When he finally finished his recount of the tales, Cid nodded.

"So…" Cid began, trying to pick apart what he'd heard. "You all are looking for Sephiroth… Sephiroth is looking for the Promised Land. Shinra is looking for all three of you?"

"Marvelously succinct," Red growled in annoyance.

"Well then, I'm glad you've got a method of getting around the world, because I've seen most of it from the air and I gotta tell you I ain't never seen anything that looked like no 'Promised Land'. I thought it was just," Cid looked at Aeris guiltily, "forgive me, an Ancient myth."

"The Promised Land is a real place. If anybody could find it, then we'd already know where it is. Only Cetra, and descendents of Cetra can find it. And it's not found by just looking for it. You will _feel _it," Aeris explained.

"Cetra?" Cid asked. "What's that, some kinda disease?"

Cloud smacked his head. "Have you been listening to a word I've said?"

"Oh yeah… that's the other name for the Ancients," Cid remembered suddenly. "Sorry about that."

"Well that's all well and good," Yuffie pointed out. "But as we're stuck in the middle of the ocean there's not a whole lot that can be done for that at the moment."

"Do you have a suggestion then?" Barret asked.

"We're near Wutai, I imagine," Yuffie explained. "My homeland. Let's land the Tiny Bronco there and then we can ask about the Ancients. My f… my people know a lot about the ancient legends and so on."

Cloud had once again caught the slip. It had been obvious that she was about to reference her father.

"That's actually not a bad idea. In case you've forgotten we're short on supplies thanks to leaving the buggy behind and I think we forgot to stop and grab food," Tifa noted.

"Alright then. We'll set sail for Wutai," Cloud said. "Yuffie, you'll have to navigate."

"Yes sir!" She smiled widely.

---

Reno had not been planning to invite Elena to join him and Rude on their vacation day. The President had allotted them one day in which to enjoy themselves and his experience with Elena thus far had been not so good.

She meant well, but that was the problem. Well-meaning rookies always cause trouble, and act as though they have something to prove. As they headed towards Wutai from their drop-off point on the steppes, Elena began to chide Reno about not hunting for AVALANCHE.

"Don't forget that just because we have a day off today doesn't mean we've stopped looking for AVALANCHE. We can rest up here, but if we see them…"

Reno chuckled, "Listen babe, I know you're a little new at this so I'll give you some pointers. A day off is a day off be you a merchant, a soldier or a Turk. Now naturally if Cloud and his gang show up here of course I'll bust them up, but it's not like they'd come to such an out-of-the-way place anyways."

Elena recoiled at Reno's over-familiarity. It was true that he was technically the leader, but that was no excuse for him to act as he did.

"Well then Reno, if I had just stolen a piece of Shinra property and crash-landed in the Wutai Sea, where would I go? Back to where the enemy was?" Elena asked.

Reno was still two-steps ahead. "Look I'm not saying there's not a chance they wouldn't come here. But even an idiot knows that Wutai is controlled by Shinra. Why would they come here?"

---

It was morning in Wutai. The spring air was gently blowing as birds chirped in the nearby Sakura trees. The sun crept over the horizon of the Wutai Sea, and a pale mist that had enveloped since the previous night was slowly dissipating. Merchants began their cacophonous callings, a gong in the village square was struck six times, and slowly but surely, Wutai was waking up.

Wutai had always been a peaceful place. That is, ever since the war where Shinra completely took over the city. It had been reduced to something of a resort town, which is exactly what the worn Turks needed.

"Well looky here," said Reno. "I see a bar, some hot springs and a buncha scared Westerners. We can have some fun today."

Suddenly the gong was struck again, seven times, and three Shinra soldiers went rushing out of the Turtle's Paradise pub. Two of them managed to get by the Turks, but the third was stopped by Rude.

"What the heck's going on?" Reno asked.

"We got a lead that says Cloud and his party AVALANCHE have landed on Adamantine Beach to the south. Apparently the Shinra airplane, Little Bronco, was damaged and unable to fly, and the terrorists were forced to sail," the soldier reported.

Reno nodded, and the soldier ran after his team. Elena pulled her phone and began to dial a number. Reno stopped her by playfully batting the phone out of her hand and catching it with his other.

"What are you doing?!" Elena demanded.

"I just told you, today is our day off," Reno said.

Elena grabbed her PHS from Reno. "You also said if Cloud was here you'd fight him."

Reno was, as always, quick on-the-draw. "Yes, operative word 'here', as in 'right here'. I'm not gonna hike back across the steppes and waste two hours outta my life. And on my day off, no less."

"But-" Elena was silenced by Reno playfully placing a hand over her mouth as he dialed using his phone.

"This is Reno. Yeah. Put me on with Heidi," Reno said. "Yeah I'll hold."

A few moments passed, and Elena couldn't help but notice that Reno's sleeve had a bit of chocolate on it.

"Thanks babe!" Reno said. "Hey Heidegger, have you heard the news? Cloud and the others have landed on Adamantine Beach. Yeah. Right. You're a doll, Heidi. Alright, buhbye," Reno hung up and took his and off Elena's mouth.

Elena wiped off her mouth, licked her finger and then attacked Reno's chocolate smudge.

"Hey, what the?" Reno asked.

"Sorry it's driving me nuts. I've learned to accept your horrible posture, dress and odor but could you at least wash your shirt?" Elena asked.

"Shouldn't you be asking me what our orders are?" Reno asked.

Elena stopped and sighed.

"Not very professional," Rude commented softly.

Elena mentally counted to ten, and swore she would tolerate this abuse as best she could. "Fine, what are the orders?"

Reno smiled. "We are to stick around here, and guard the city. Tseng and an entire company of Shinra's finest are on their way to apprehend them. Now, be a dear and go make sure there's plenty of breathing room in the Turtle's Paradise."

Elena sighed and walked off in the direction of the pub.

"You never called Heidegger," Rude noted.

"Like hell man, it's my day off." Reno said.

---

The Adamantine Beach was a fairly open spot to be noticed, but they had been left with no alternative. They set the Little Bronco in a small inlet, hoping it would be less noticeable, and then began their journey across the steppes with Yuffie in the lead.

They reached a small rope bridge which crossed over a large chasm.

"Mt. Tamblin," Cloud observed.

"Very good," Yuffie smiled. "You've been here before?"

"No, but I'd heard about it in SOLDIER. This was where the last of the Wutai War was fought," Cloud explained.

"Yeah," Yuffie's head hung at that statement. "Oh!"

Yuffie jumped as though she had almost forgotten something and she ran towards the bridge. She then turned and spread her arms wide.

"Um! You can't cross this bridge!" Yuffie called.

"Why not?" Red asked.

"It's, um… It's sort of not working right now," Yuffie explained.

"Not working? It looks fine to me," Tifa observed.

"Unless there's some other reason you don't want us to cross," said Vincent in a rare display of his own ability to speak.

Suddenly, four Shinra soldiers leapt up from the cliffs around them and drew their weapons.

"Halt!" The soldier shouted.

"They're certainly quick on the draw," Cloud cursed, glancing back at Yuffie.

"Yuffie?!" Aeris cried. "How could you do this to us?"

"No!" Yuffie cried back. "I swear I had nothing to do with this one!"

Yuffie had apparently not meant to say quite so much, and Barret caught it.

"This one?!" He shouted. "So you did have something planned!"

Several things happened at once. Yuffie rushed in front of Cloud, seemingly in an attempt to take the first soldiers bullet. Cloud was not sure how to feel. She had obviously been plotting something, but she was still ready to protect him.

Cloud rushed at the first soldier and knocked him off the cliff. He reached for his sword and swung at the second. Yuffie then darted past Tifa and jumped across Aeris.

Four more soldiers jumped up from the cliff and Barret raised his gunarm. Vincent fired two shots into a soldier that had appeared from his right side.

"Tifa, where's that summon materia you picked up a while ago, we could use a spell right about now!" Cloud shouted.

Tifa searched her pouch frantically. "I can't find it!"

Red got shot in the tail and hissed loudly.

"Damn it!" Red cursed, pouncing on the soldier that shot him and knocking him unconscious with his claws.

"Don't worry," Aeris said. "I can heal you…"

Aeris reached into her bag, but was unable to find the curative materia she had always carried.

"What's going on?" Cloud shouted. "Where's our materia?"

"Yuffie, do you have any… Yuffie?" Cait Sith asked, turning around.

But Yuffie was nowhere to be found.

"Enchanting dame," Cid said wiping his spear across two soldiers at once, knocking them back off the cliff. The last remaining soldier ran away from the group.

"He'll call for reinforcements," Vincent noted.

"Good. We'll kick their asses too, right after we string up that little brat!" Barret cursed.

"Why would Yuffie take us all the way out here and betray us after all this time?" Aeris asked, a note of sadness in her voice.

Cloud didn't care why she had betrayed them, the fact of the matter was without their materia, the journey ahead would be almost impossible.

"Maybe she was the one who was feeding Shinra information?" Tifa suggested.

"That doesn't make sense. If she was the informant, we'd have been caught in Junon," Cloud observed. "Maybe this was just her plan all along. Have us escort her home and then rob us blind?"

"Well we'll find out nothing just standing here. Let's head to Wutai and find out what she's up to," Cid said. "You all think about things too much. You know if I were in charge we'd be chasing after her right now instead of yapping about it."

"That's great, Cid. Why don't you take point, then?" Cloud retorted irritably.

---

Morning had passed, and midday was setting in, as the gong was struck eleven times. The Turks had eaten more than their weight in food, and with the exception of Elena, were currently inhaling the finest mead Wutai had to offer. The lightweight Reno was already feeling the effects of the intoxicating liquid.

"Now look Elena. It's okay if you like Tseng. He's a great guy. But what I can't understand is why you don't like hic me or Rude. I know, I know, I give you hell , so maybe not me, but what about Rude, here. Don't chicks like the strong silent type, heck if I was a woman I'd-"

Reno's ranting was cut off by a teenager bursting in on the pub. She wore shorts and a green sleeveless shirt and was carrying a bag filled with small orbs of various colors. Her short black hair and ninja shuriken gave away her identity to the Turks.

"Isn't that… Yuppie, Yippy, Buffy…." Reno asked.

"Yuffie," Elena said. "Should we apprehend her?"

"Are you sick? She's underage. God when you think you know somebody…" Reno said.

"That's not what I said!" Elena shouted.

Across the bar, Yuffie was desperately trying to communicate with the bartender.

"Olan!" Yuffie cried out. "I need a place to hide!"

The bartender sighed, "Yuffie, is it debt collectors again?"

"Shut up wise guy! It's a bunch of crazy guys who I sorta robbed," Yuffie said.

Olan cursed in his native tongue and then shot back: "How can one who comes from such a proud line of ninjas be so wicked. You're a descendent of Shinobi, all the great ones have come before you-"

"I know! I know!" Yuffie mocked. "Blah blah blah blah Edge, and then blah blah some history crap, blah blah Shadow blah blah blah! Are you gonna help me or not?!"

Olan just shook his head and went back to tending customers. Yuffie cursed, moaned, then cursed again and ran out the door.

"Hey should we follow her?" Elena asked.

"How many times am I gonna have to tell you? It's our day off!" Reno shouted drunkenly.

---

The sun was high in the air now, and the gong was struck twelve times. The fishermen had returned with some fresh salt water fish and baskets were sent down to the merchants for their midday rush.

The Turtle's Paradise was no exception, boasting five baskets and-despite the presence of the Turks-a full house. The sound of men shouting out orders, the chefs bickering, and of course the hammer-like sound of the knives cutting through fish against the cutting boards all echoed throughout the pub.

"Wow. Even if Yuffie did hide in here we'll probably never find her," Aeris said.

"We may as well look, it's not like we can go anywhere while she has our materia," Cloud replied.

Elena looked up over her glass and gasped. "Reno! Rude! It's Cloud!"

Reno looked over at the blond. "Oh, so it is. I'll be damned, I guess Tseng isn't as cool as you thought, eh sweetie?"

"That's not the point!" Elena said.

"The ancient is here too," Rude said.

"The rest of AVALANCE, the pilot who defected, and some guy I've never seen before. This is all fascinating," Reno said.

Suddenly Reno and Cloud's eyes locked. Cloud lifted his sword, and Reno pulled out his Tazer. Vincent lifted his gun, but Cloud set his hand on the barrel.

"No Vincent, not yet," Cloud said.

Reno and Cloud sized each other up for a minute, and then Reno lowered his tazer. "Alright you win tough guy. Da da de de, da-da, de de dum!"

Cloud lowered his sword. "Are you drunk?"

"Yes," groaned Elena, her head now resting on the table, covered with her hands.

"Look, normally I'd mop the floor with you and all but today just so happens to be my day off, so why don't we just agree to leave each other alone?" Reno said sitting down.

The members of AVALANCHE stood confused for a moment. Aeris spoke first. "I doubt even Yuffie would be so reckless to barge in here with the Turks sitting right there. Day off or no."

The men agreed and they left to continue their search elsewhere.

Elena stood up. "I don't understand! This time Cloud was 'right here' and you still did nothing!"

"When I said 'right here' perhaps I was vague. I mean there was a distance between us which his sword covered better than my tazer," Reno said.

"Some hero you are, no wonder you can't get a girlfriend," Elena said.

"Maybe not 'friend' but I get plenty of girls, believe you me," Reno said. "Now will you stop you're ruining our day off."

"Even the booze tastes bad now," Rude quietly observed.

Suddenly the door burst open again.

"Dammit is he back for round 2?" Reno asked.

In ran the three soldiers whom the Turks had dealt with before. They ran up to the Turks and saluted them.

"A bit more proper about authority this time aren't we?" Elena noticed.

"They want something," Reno said without even glancing at them.

"Sirs and Ma'am. We have reason to believe that the traitor Don Corneo is here in Wutai," the first soldier said.

Reno chuckled to himself and put down his glass. "'Reason to believe' just say you saw the guy already!"

The soldier turned crimson and continued. "Ah…yes, well anyways. We believe we have cornered him and want Turk assistance in capturing him."

"What about AVALANCHE?" Elena asked.

"HQ says that AVALANCHE can be caught anytime, but Shinra wants Corneo especially," the soldier replied.

"Too bad. It's our day off," Reno said. "Must I post it everywhere, on every sign in Wutai? 'Hey Wutai, guess what. The Turks have a friggin' day off'."

The soldiers got up and began to leave. The first one warned them as he left. "Don't think HQ won't hear about this!"

The door slammed behind them, and Elena's last nerve went with them.

"How can you guys act so unprofessional! Here we have a chance to catch both AVALANCHE and Corneo and you are just sitting there getting drunk!" Elena shouted.

"Elena, a professional isn't somebody who sacrifices themselves for their job. That's just a fool," Reno said.

"You're wrong!" Elena shouted as she ran out.

Rude started to get up, but Reno stopped him. "Just let her be."

---

Wutai was full of small homes, located along a thin stream where fish came in from the sea. The two most notable locations in town, however, was the massive statue carved into the nearby mountain Da Chao (which featured the carvings of the Five Gods of Wutai), and the royal square. Here a large gong, serving as the town "clock" sat across from the Imperial Residence and a tall five-story pagoda.

"That is the Pagoda of The Five Mighty Gods. In lie the Five Saints of Wutai, five warriors who protect Wutai above all others. They are believed to be directly descended from the Five Gods of Wutai," Red explained.

"You know a lot about the world, Red," Tifa noted, always impressed at the font of knowledge.

"There is but one warrior greater in all of Wutai and that is supposed to be that of the royal bloodline," Red noted.

Cloud's brain pieced together various clues from their encounters with Yuffie, and came to a horrible realization.

"Wait a minute… don't tell me…" Cloud thought.

"I have my suspicions," Red said. "But let us speak with Lord Godo before we jump to any conclusions."

The Royal Residence was surprisingly airy for the estate of the leader of a country. Two kimono-clad maids greeted them at the door.

"Are you here to seek an audience with Lord Godo?" One of them asked.

"Yes," Cloud replied, bowing his head.

"Weapons are not permitted within the estate," the maid commented tersely, noticing Cloud's SOLDIER uniform.

"Let them be," came a deep voice.

Lord Godo walked out from around a corner. He wore a black and gold kimono that hung loosely from him. Cloud noted with a mixture of interest and concern that the Lord of Wutai had armed himself with his own blade, a long katana that hung from his waist.

"It is not safe to be unarmed these days, even for a moment. Let them pass," Lord Godo instructed as he retreated to his chamber.

The maids bowed and the group followed him into a large golden chamber. There was no regal throne here, however, but rather a small garden, complete with a pond, where gold carp swam, cherry blossoms and a cobblestone path. Lord Godo took some food from a pouch and tossed it into the pond. Aeris was smiling, and even Cloud could feel the magnanimity and nobility of this man.

"You are no doubt here because of my daughter," Lord Godo began bluntly.

"So it's true. Yuffie is your daughter," Red observed.

"She is still young and reckless. She believes she can change the world, and will do anything to accomplish it," Lord Godo said, with a hint of annoyance. "She ignores training, avoids duty, and refuses to discipline herself. Always an adventure. Everything had to be an adventure. Without understanding the consequences of your actions, and a full understanding of yourself, how can you hope to become a warrior capable of changing the world?"

"Or rather," came a flighty voice from high in the cherry blossom tree. "How can she become the warrior you expect her to be?"

Yuffie jumped down from the tree and stood defiantly in front of her father. Barret and Cid made to grab her, but Lord Godo turned and drew his katana.

"I cannot allow you to harm my daughter in my own household. I apologize, but I still have a duty as a father," Lord Godo instructed.

"Always duty with you?" Yuffie hissed. "You think you understand duty? If you truly understood duty then you would never have surrendered to Shinra! What about your duty to our country?"

"I understand better than you about duty to our country, Yuffie-Chan!" Lord Godo bellowed in a voice of thunder. "You are so foolish and reckless that you believe that all problems must be solved with the sword! If I were to let my countrymen die over some foolish squabble with Shinra than I would be guilty of high treason to the country!"

Yuffie still seemed to have some fight in her. "The people wanted to fight. But your ego-"

"Enough, Yuffie-Chan!" Lord Godo shouted.

"Don't call me Yuffie-Chan!" Yuffie snapped.

"Why not? I do not see a warrior standing before me? I see a scared little girl, who has shamed her family and nobility by becoming a common criminal!" Lord Godo retorted.

The magnanimity of Lord Godo had been dampened. This was no longer righteous indignation, but bitter animal anger. He wanted to cause Yuffie pain.

"Your mother would be ashamed of you," Lord Godo said coldly.

A single tear fell from Yuffie's eyes and she retreated deeper into the estate. At her retreat, Lord Godo's hand fell. He slid his katana back into its sheath and put his head in his hands.

"How am I to govern a kingdom when I cannot even control my own temper?" Lord Godo sighed. "It would seem I am the one that needs to learn more about discipline."

"We are imperfect beings," Red noted wisely.

"As a descendent of a God, I should be closer to perfect than this. Why can I not even discipline my own child?" Lord Godo sighed deeply again. "When her mother died, I could never raise my hand or voice in anger to her. She reminded me too greatly of her mother. But by treating her as special, she became spoiled. She knows nothing of discipline because I failed in my duty as a father."

Aeris put her hands on Lord Godo's shoulder.

"You are Cetra?" Lord Godo asked.

"How did you know?" Aeris asked, stunned.

"I can feel the divinity. Your touch gives you away," Lord Godo said. "I can no longer protect my daughter until she learns the lessons that I failed to teach her. Chase her if you must, but please do not harm her."

"We're just going to get back what's ours. We won't hurt Yuffie," Tifa promised.

"Go. She must have descended into the storage room. There is a tunnel there that leads out into town, an escape route built during the days of the Wutai War," Lord Godo instructed.

The group ran down the hall, but Aeris stopped to take one fleeting look at Lord Godo before following.

The storage room held many jars and bottles, but it was also filled with people at the moment. Elena, and Yuffie were bound hand and foot and being held up by two masked men.

Standing in between them was Don Corneo.

"Corneo?" Tifa shouted.

"You couldn't stay put in the slums, I see," Cloud said coolly.

"No, alas, I could not," Corneo laughed. "Not when I could come here to Wutai and get two for the price of one."

"Hey! Let me go!" Yuffie shouted.

"I'll have your head for this!" Elena cursed as she struggled fruitlessly against her bonds.

In a puff of smoke, the men and women disappeared into the tunnel.

"Damn it!" Barret shouted. "Now I don't know who I wanna kill, but I think it's all of 'em!"

---

The sun slowly sunk down over the apex of the sky, and the midday rush was over. The gong sounded out twice over the village. And in the middle of Turtle's Paradise, Reno's PHS received a mayday from Elena.

Reno and Rude ran out the door and up the steps the village square. Running in the direction of the Pagoda of Five Mighty Gods, they just missed a large man in a red robe running back in the direction of the town. Two henchmen followed him carrying a bound Elena and Yuffie. Rude turned and saw them dart off in the direction of Da Chao.

Suddenly the members of AVALANCHE appeared behind them. Reno and Rude turned.

"Now is not the time," Cloud said.

"Jeez, is he telling me… You know they snagged one of ours too," Reno said.

"Look, it's not like I have any intention of cooperating with the Turks," Cloud said.

"The feeling is mutual, so let's just agree to do what we can to deal with this common foe for now and we can get back to killing each other when it isn't my day off, okay?" Reno asked.

"Got it. And don't worry we'll leave your friend alone," Cloud said.

"Yeah yeah, I've no intention of harming that kid," Reno said.

Cloud and Reno shook hands, forging a temporary alliance.

---

Da Chao was much bigger up close than it seemed from a distance. The giant Gods stood towering several thousand feet higher than them.

"He's somewhere up here, and somehow got here a hell of a lot faster than we did. Let's scout out the area real quick-like, who knows what kind of horrible things he might be doing," Reno said.

The five walked up the mountain path at the first landing could already see the sculpture. At the face of the head figure in the sculpture, stood Corneo, and Elena and Yuffie were both tied to the rock face.

"That's not good…" Reno said. "Okay, you three go ahead and distract him; Rude and I will give him a little wake-up call."

"And why should we trust you?" Aeris asked, matter-of-factly.

Reno laughed and then scratched his head. "You got a point, but please remember that our comrade is in a pickle too. Why are you trying to save that girl anyways? Didn't she steal your materia?"

Cloud remained silent for a moment and then said. "Well basically if we don't save her, we won't find out where she stashed it away."

"Oh, I thought you just wanted to beat the living snot out of her with your own hands," Reno said.

Cloud couldn't hold back his smile at that thought, but suppressed it quickly at Aeris's eye of shame.

Cloud, Aeris and Vincent ran up and confronted the Don. Though the Turks could not hear their exchange clearly, they did see a large wyvern fly down from over Da Chao and attack them.

"I'm so glad we're the backup on this one," Reno said.

"Now we know how he got here so fast," Rude noted.

"Yeah. Okay let's move!" Reno ordered.

As the gong struck six the wyvern fell to Cloud's blade. The sun was beginning to set behind Da Chao and AVALANCHE had at last cornered Corneo.

"Alright Corneo the games over, release our friends," Cloud said.

"I still have one game to play. Why do you think a scoundrel like me pulls off a stunt as ridiculous as this? 1) Because I'm given up all hope. 2) Because I'm sure of victory or 3) Because I'm insane?" Corneo quizzed.

Cloud raised his sword. "We don't have time for your nonsense!"

"Sorry, the correct answer is number 2!" Corneo said. He pulled out a remote and pressed two buttons which released the girls arm cuffs and sent them spinning around until they were both upside down.

"Not another step! If I push these other two buttons we'll end up with squashed tomatoes," Corneo giggled. "As you see fools, I am the one who laughs last."

"No that would be me," came Reno's voice as he walked down from behind the group.

Corneo's face became a mask of fear. "Reno of the Turks…."

"You should have known this would happen after you leak plans of our attack to these guys. Nobody betrays Shinra's trust and gets away with it," Reno said.

"Damn you all! If I'm going down I'm taking these two with me!" Corneo reached for the button. Vincent pulled out his gun, but Rude's was drawn first and sent a bullet flying through Corneo's hand.

"Excellent timing Rude!" Reno shouted. He kicked the remote to the side and then pushed Corneo back. Corneo reached out and grabbed a rock, and Reno caught his hand.

"Alright now I want you to think about this one. Why did I ally myself with my enemy just to take care of you? 1) Because I had given up hope. 2) Because I was sure of victory, or 3) Because I was insane?" Reno asked.

Corneo quivered. "Number 2?"

"Wrong," Reno said, letting go of Corneo's hand. Corneo screamed as he fell to the bottom of the statue. "The correct answer is…"

"Because it's our job," Rude said.

Elena's eyes began to tear up. "You guys, thank you so much."

Reno just shrugged his shoulders. "Don't act so weak Elena. You're a Turk."

Elena nodded. "Yes sir."

Reno's PHS rang. "This is Reno. Yeah. Uh-huh. Okay. Bye-bye Heidi. Uh, yes. Heidegger. Sorry…."

"Was that HQ?" Elena asked.

"Yeah, they want us to find Cloud," Reno said. He turned to Cloud.

Cloud lifted his sword, Vincent lifted his gun and Aeris stepped back.

"Are we on?" Rude asked.

Reno chuckled. "Not today. Today's our day off."

"Hey!!!!" Yuffie shouted. "I don't care about any of that! Get me down!"


	30. Chapter 29: Da Chao

Chapter 29: Da Chao

Yuffie bowed low before the group. They now sat in the garden within Lord Godo's estate. Reno, Rude and Elena also sat beside them, at the behest of Lord Godo. Godo himself was sitting next to his daughter, whose face was a mask of humility and embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry for what I did," Yuffie apologized. "It's just that… well you all know what happened to Wutai."

The group nodded, but the Turks, feeling slightly out of place just scratched their heads or averted their gaze.

"I thought that if I could bring back lots of materia to Wutai, then maybe we could build it up to its former glory," Yuffie explained.

"Former glory?" Lord Godo asked. "Again, you think too much like a child."

But there was no bitterness in Godo's voice this time.

"Yuffie, glory is not found in who wins the most battles. If you could simply understand that, then there would be no need for these foolish stunts of yours," Godo continued.

"And if you keep doing stuff like that," Cloud noted. "Your intentions will eventually become unclear, honorable or not."

Yuffie nodded fervently. "Right, but I mean you all have been fighting a losing battle. I actually was kind of inspired by you."

"Yeah," Reno pointed out. He paused for a moment at the mixed reactions of the group in front of him. "I'm just saying that you all are fighting Shinra and… well your methods aren't exactly honorable are they?"

Barret looked ready to punch Reno, but Vincent placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's true. Perhaps we shouldn't act as though we are on a moral high ground."

Reno seemed pleased with himself, and even Elena seemed to be impressed.

"You must learn discipline, Yuffie. Before I can let you leave Wutai, you must be trained to be the warrior that you were born to be," Lord Godo instructed. "You will not mind waiting a few weeks here?"

Lord Godo turned to Cloud, but Cid spoke for him.

"A few weeks? These kids are in a bit of a rush, Mister. Anyway you can cut it down a bit?" Cid asked.

"I could, if I wished Yuffie to leave here as impetuous and reckless as she is now," Lord Godo sighed. "But if I keep her too long then your plans to stop Sephiroth may fail."

"You could just leave tracking down Sephiroth to Shinra," Rude suggested. "I mean, I know you hate us and all, but we're pretty good at this stuff."

"Aren't you supposed to drag our butts in on sight though?" Barret asked.

"All the more reason to get us out of your hair," Reno laughed.

"There's some logic to that," Cloud admitted. "Besides we still don't know where to go next. I think a week or two might give us some time to find out what we need to do and plan our next move."

"Lalalalala…not listening," Reno plugged his ears.

"Reno!" Elena hissed.

"Hey, if we hear this, we have to report on it, and after they helped us save you I figure we owe them one," Reno explained.

Elena blushed.

"Yeah, so I guess this is your own fault," Rude added slyly.

Elena bowed her head. "Why do you two always pick on me?"

Cloud stood up and faced Reno.

"Why are you so keen on helping us? Wouldn't your bosses be upset?" Cloud asked.

Reno brushed his hair. "Well, isn't it obvious? We're setting you up for a trap. But I guess a more satisfactory answer would be that some people within the Shinra organization are beginning to feel as though we should leave all our options open. If you guys think you can stop Sephiroth, so be it. It doesn't exactly set us across purposes now does it? But if you try to stop Shinra from using the Promised Land, then we'll go right back to being enemies."

"Unfortunately we have every intention of doing that," Tifa added coolly.

"You see, there you go again! You didn't have to tell me that," Reno sighed. "Our day off is almost over, so I guess we'd better leave. Rude, Elena, go secure our ride."

"Yes… Sir," Elena bowed slightly and left, with Rude tailing slightly behind.

When they had left Lord Godo's estate, Reno turned to Cloud.

"Near Gongaga there's a weapons dealer. He lives out on the peninsula. You may wanna pay him a visit and ask him about something called a Keystone," Reno said.

"Is this part of the trap you mentioned earlier?" Red asked keenly.

"Could be… but if I told you it wouldn't be a very good trap now would it?" Reno smirked as he went to join his comrades.

Once Reno had left, the focus again returned to Yuffie and Lord Godo.

"I do not trust that man," Lord Godo said. "But then it would seem as though he is questioning his own motivation, which makes him all the harder to read. He's cunning, that one."

"Reno is…" Cloud grasped for the right word. "We've had experience with him."

"Ah," Lord Godo quipped. "Well… if you are in a hurry there is one thing that I could provide which may at least get my daughter set about on the right path."

Yuffie looked over at her father.

"Wait a minute… you don't mean **that **materia?" Yuffie asked.

"Are you not the greatest materia hunter in all the world?" Lord Godo asked. "Claiming this one should simply be some more of your famous skullduggery… unless of course you are not prepared to carry the burden."

The group sat confused, except for Red who seemed to understand the meaning of Lord Godo's words.

"The Leviathan materia, ancient gift of the Gods and the very heart of Wutai," Red explained.

"But…" Yuffie trailed. "I'm not worthy to carry that…"

A streak of pity rushed through Cloud for the first time since she had betrayed them. He could tell that despite her callous demeanor, she could tell that her actions were wrong and that it was taking its toll on her.

"Then you will have to work hard to make yourself worthy," Lord Godo said walking out of the garden in the direction of the five-story pagoda. The group followed him out into the royal square.

"The Pagoda of The Five Mighty Gods," Yuffie entomed. "The resting place of the Leviathan materia…Father, I'm not ready!"

"Were it a test of your combat finesse alone, I would agree with you," Lord Godo nodded.

This hurt Yuffie, and Cloud thought he saw another tear form in her eyes.

"But you have other gifts which, until recently, I have been unable to spot in you. You have heart, _some_ courage, and resourcefulness. These traits are quite valuable, and when coupled with discipline can make you a truly great warrior," Lord Godo explained. "Come to the pagoda when you are ready. I will explain to the Five Saints of Wutai that you are to begin the trial."

Lord Godo entered the large Pagoda and the massive doors shut behind him. With him gone, the night sky somehow seemed even darker. Crickets chirped softly in the reeds near the stream, and a crescent moon was looking down upon them from just above Da Chao.

"I can't do it," Yuffie spat as she stomped her foot on the ground. With her father gone from her side, her old fire seemed to burn again. "I never claimed to be great! I'm still not ready, no way!"

"Then stay here," Cloud suggested. "Return to your studies and train harder so that you can become ready."

"But, I want to keep traveling with you guys!" Yuffie cried.

"Even after your betrayal?" Aeris asked, unusually stern.

"We'll need to see some improvement, Missy," Cait Sith added.

Yuffie bowed her head, but decided she wasn't done fighting yet. "Well, so what if you guys don't like me. I'll follow you anyways. I might even help you out of a few tight spots."

"Why are you so afraid?" Vincent asked.

Yuffie looked at the caped man with the stunned expression of a person who had just had their mind read and their most terrible secret revealed to the world.

"I'm not afraid!" Yuffie shouted.

"The Yuffie I know never backs down from a fight," Red added.

"Even when she probably should," Barret chuckled.

"You…" Yuffie seemed like she was either going to scream or burst out crying, but Cloud couldn't tell which. "You don't understand."

"Then help us understand!" Aeris pleaded.

Yuffie bowed her head. "What I've done… the decisions I've made I can't just take back. I don't care what my father says I won't be able to atone for what I've done."

Cloud glanced at Vincent, who was too preoccupied by this statement to comment.

"You won't know until you try. And if you aren't trying to make up for what you've done wrong, then why are you helping us fight Shinra?" Tifa asked.

"Because, that's what I'm good at," Yuffie said. "My father's right. All I know is how to pick fights. I can be a fighter. What I can't do is live up to what my father… and my mother wanted me to be."

"The fact that you are aware of your transgression puts you ahead of most who have sinned," Red said serenely. "It would seem to me, with a bit of fine-tuning, you could very well be worthy of that title."

"Wutai culture is very different. Once you've shamed your family that shame is a stigma on everything you do. All you can hope for is to attain normality and not screw up again. You can't undo the past," Yuffie explained.

"Then ignore it," Cloud said sharply. "If what happened in the past doesn't matter for good, then it doesn't matter for ill either. Just drop what happened in the past and start over here."

Yuffie's hands and arms shook violently.

"I… have to enter alone," Yuffie said after a moment.

"Trying to sneak out the back?" Cait Sith asked.

"No!" Yuffie snapped. "The only people allowed in the pagoda are the Five Saints of Wutai and the person challenging them. And since you are not Wutai-born, you can't challenge them."

"So you've made your decision then?" Cloud asked.

Yuffie nodded. "As you said, I never run away from a good fight."

Yuffie walked up to the massive pagoda doors. They swung open slowly, and then shut again behind her.

---

The first floor of the Pagoda seemed more like a chapel than a battleground. A portly man wearing a green robe knelt on the ground in prayer.

"So… the daughter of Godo finally seeks an audience with us," the man smiled. "I am Gorki. I am Saint over Courage. Merely by entering this pagoda, you have already passed the test and overcome your fear."

Gorki stood up and lifted a large staff. "All that remains of you on this floor is to best me in combat."

Yuffie reached for her shuriken, but before she had even drawn it, Gorki had covered the distance between the two, grabbed her by her shirt and thrown her against the far wall.

"Haha! Too slow, Yuffie-Chan!" Gorki mocked.

Yuffie's head was splitting. The throw had been both unexpected and unusually brutal.

"You're pretty tough for a 'Saint' aren't you?" Yuffie groaned.

Again she attempted the draw her weapon, but Gorki had cleared the space, and beat her across the face with his staff. She fell to the ground a few feet away.

"Give up. You are not skilled enough to challenge me in combat. All those years when you could have learned from the best and become a warrior capable of challenging me. Do they seem like a waste now?" Gorki asked.

Yuffie spat blood onto the floor. She felt like she could cry, but she would not let herself.

"Aw. Do you need help getting up, Yuffie-Chan?" Gorki laughed cruelly.

Gorki offered his hand to hers. She grabbed it and in a blur she leapt up and threw him against the wall.

"How does that feel?!" Yuffie shrieked.

She drew her shuriken and threw it at Gorki. Gorki batted it aside with his staff and rushed at Yuffie. He attempted to grab her, but she batted his arm away, twisted it behind his back and with a sickening snap, broke it. Gorki fell to the ground writhing in agony.

To Yuffie's complete astonishment, Gorki was laughing.

"Hahaha. Very good. You aren't afraid to draw blood when you need to. Of course if you don't control that habit it could prove fatal in the end," Gorki observed his own destroyed arm with peculiar interest. "So it would seem those lessons weren't a complete waste."

"You forget who you are dealing with," Yuffie spat defiantly, still bleeding.

"I still see a child," Gorki said coolly. "Albeit a skilled one. You have potential yet, Miss Kisaragi. Proceed to the next floor."

The back wall slid to the side, revealing a stairwell. Yuffie walked up to the second floor.

---

This floor was pitch black. A woman's voice rang out:

"I am Shake, the Saint of Patience."

"You're gonna fight me in the dark?" Yuffie asked. "That's not really fair is it?"

"The test begins now," the woman called, suddenly closer to Yuffie. A fist connected with the back of Yuffie's head. She fell forward, but stopped herself from collapsing.

"Oooh! You're gonna get it!" Yuffie cursed.

There was silence.

"Where are you?!" Yuffie shouted.

Suddenly an immense weight hit Yuffie in the side and she slammed into a wall. Yuffie whimpered in pain, but caught herself.

_How can she be hitting me in the dark? She can't see me… She can hear me._

Yuffie noticed the unusual silence.

_Okay then… two can play at this game…_

Yuffie quietly slipped off her shoes.

_Now, just one good one to get you going and…_

Yuffie took one shoe and threw it as hard as she could to her right. It slammed into the opposite wall and Yuffie heard slightly muffled footsteps and the sound of fist connecting with the wall.

"Ah! Damn it!" The woman shrieked.

_Heheh… That must have hurt…_

Yuffie took her next shoe and threw it straight ahead of her. It hit the wall a short distance from her. Again Yuffie heard the muffled footsteps and when they were just in front of her, she spun and delivered a brutal roundhouse kick into Shake's stomach.

Shake countered with a punch, but Yuffie was prepared for it. She ducked and tackled Shake to the ground. Setting her hands on Shake's arms she forced her into submission.

Shake also laughed. "Well done, Miss Kisaragi."

The lights in the floor lit suddenly and Yuffie let Shake go. The far wall slid open revealing another stairwell. Yuffie collected her shoes, slid them back on and walked up to the third level.

---

The third floor seemed much smaller than the first two. In the center of the floor was a wide rug and a small table. An old man in a kimono sat at the end.

"Greetings," the man said in a soft, but raspy voice. "I am Chekhov, the Saint of Wisdom. Our blades will not cross on this floor… but our brains."

"What, is that all?" Yuffie asked.

"Wisdom if often overlooked by the young. The value of knowledge does not seem a worthy pursuit. But know this. Only a handful of warriors have passed my test, despite their strength and courage," Chekhov warned.

Yuffie gulped, but sat down at the opposite side of the table at Chekhov's beckoning.

"This test will be simple, but it will not be easy. I will ask you three questions, and you must answer them. There is, however, no room for error on this floor. Answer but a single question incorrectly, then your trial will be over, and you shall fail," Chekhov said.

"Alright, then. So get the questions," Yuffie said, a bit more forcefully than she would have liked.

"Hahah," Chekhov laughed, before coughing hoarsely. "I see you have learned little from Shake. But there is a time and place for everything, even patience. Very well."

Chekhov took a deep breath and asked the first question: "I am that which has teeth, but cannot bite. What am I?"

Yuffie scratched her head. "Wait a minute… that's not a fair question. Lots of things have teeth but don't bite."

"You are ignoring the verbiage, which is your error. This has teeth but cannot, even if it so desired, under any circumstances bite," Chekhov instructed.

Yuffie thought of something she had seen with very large fangs but a kind demeanor. Red XIII. The large orange beast with tattoos all over its scarred body, a flaming tail, and in its hair was…

"A comb!" Yuffie exclaimed.

"Excellent," Chekhov smiled jovially. "I am that which is always drinking and never thirsting. What am I?"

"Hey, that could be anything! If anything can drink whenever it wants than it would never be thirsty!" Yuffie protested.

"Semantics! Semantics, Yuffie. This is a being which is eternally drinking. With no rest, and never thirsts," Chekhov explained.

Yuffie's mind wandered to the Mako Reactors she had seen. They drank, in a sense. Eternally stealing the life's energy even though it didn't need any of it.

"A Mako Reactor?" Yuffie answered.

Chekhov pondered her for a moment. "That is well-reasoned enough to not be an incorrect answer, but I was thinking of a fish."

"Oh," Yuffie realized. "That makes sense too."

Chekhov took another deep breath, and asked the final question. "I am that which has no form, no will and no mind. And yet people live in fear of me, and plan for my arrival. What am I?"

Yuffie didn't even know where to begin on that one. She sat dumbfounded at the end of the table. Her mind slowly tried to recall any bit of her journey that would help her.

"No form… so it's nothing tangible," Yuffie began.

Chekhov nodded.

"No will and no mind, so it's not a spirit or the Lifestream," Yuffie reasoned.

Again Chekhov nodded encouragingly.

"People live in fear of me and plan for my arrival…" Yuffie thought.

Chekhov sat, as though expecting the punch line to a predictable joke.

_What do I plan for? My future? Is that what I fear? Death? But not everybody fears Death… What is it that we all fear and prepare for?_

"Destiny," Yuffie answered.

"Correct, Miss Kisaragi," Chekhov nodded.

"Woo-hoo!" Yuffie exclaimed, jumping up from the table.

"So many before you have said Death, and I have had to turn them away. A true warrior does not fear death. A warrior only fears their own destiny. A true warrior must master themselves yes, but without that fear of what could happen if they are led astray or their powers set to ill… they can become reckless," Chekhov explained. "Do not believe, as so many do, that you must be fearless. Sometimes a little fear is not only good, but necessary."

The wall slid open again, and Yuffie bowed to Chekhov before heading up the stairs to the fourth floor.

---

The Fourth Floor was perhaps the smallest one yet. A man with long black hair wearing the armor of Wutai's elite soldiers, the Crescent Unit, stood with his back turned to Yuffie. The glistening white pauldrons and chainmail shone against the lamp light.

"I am Staniv, the Saint of Resolve," the man introduced himself, keeping his back turned on Yuffie.

"Don't you know never to leave your back turned to an enemy?" Yuffie asked.

"As only one man has bested me in combat, I see no reason not to," Staniv replied quietly. "But we needn't cross blades just yet."

Yuffie's hand rose away from her hip where the shuriken rested.

"Do you believe yourself worthy of this honor?" Staniv asked.

"What?" Yuffie asked.

"Do you believe that by besting the Five Saints of Wutai you have really learned anything of Discipline or Honor?" Staniv asked. "No, with you, Yuffie-Chan, it is always the quick and easy path."

"But… my Father…"

"Your father is merely taking care of his daughter. He did not mean for you to succeed. He meant for you to learn of your unworthiness and return to your studies rather than chase some damned foolish dream," Staniv lectured bitterly.

Yuffie remained silent. Her arms and legs were shaking harder than ever before.

"By some amazing fluke you managed to get to this floor, something which precious few have done. I suspect it has more to do with the fact that Lord Godo instructed us Saints to 'take it easy' on you. I have no intention of doing so," Staniv explained.

"That's not true…" Yuffie cried, but her faith was wavering. She felt hot tears start to burn her eyes.

"Turn back now, Yuffie. Before you further disgrace yourself, your father, and your dead mother," Staniv hissed.

Yuffie's heart crumbled in sorrow, but at the same time her restraint broke. She reached for her shuriken and rushed at Staniv.

Staniv turned and slashed Yuffie across the chest with his pike. Yuffie's body, which had already been thoroughly battered collapsed on the ground. Her shirt was torn down the center, and blood began to pour through the rip.

"It is over, Yuffie-Chan. Go back home," Staniv mocked.

Yuffie stood up. Every inch of her body screamed in protest, but she stood up anyways.

"Why should I?" She asked, her throat hoarse and her chest throbbing in pain. "I've got insurance."

Yuffie took a small step towards Staniv.

"You cannot beat me. It's over, Yuffie-Chan," Staniv hissed.

Yuffie took another step. "We won't know… until we try now will we?"

"Turn back, Yuffie!" Staniv bellowed.

Yuffie raised her shuriken up to Staniv's pike. "Get…out… of my… way."

Staniv raised his pike, and Yuffie summoned all her remaining strength to heave the shuriken at his open chest. Dark red blood spurted onto Yuffie as a cut matching that Staniv had given her was mirrored on his own chest. He fell back against the wall, clutching his wound.

Staniv looked at his bloody hand, and smirked.

"I suppose there is more to you than meets the eye," Staniv teased.

The wall behind him slid open at his touch.

"The final Saint awaits. You are the first to climb these stairs since he himself ascended," Staniv said.

Yuffie climbed the stairs. Each step was pure agony. Forcing herself to continue up the same flights which had before seemed so simple; each movement was now as a mile to Yuffie. Her head was throbbing, her chest sore, her throat horse, her arms and legs thoroughly exhausted from battle. She finally reached the top step, and a familiar voice began to laugh jovially.

"I remember climbing those stairs myself many years ago. I think I was still on my feet, at least, but I was definitely in pain."

Yuffie looked up, and saw her father standing in front of a statue of a serpentine dragon. In its mouth was a red materia orb.

"Father…" Yuffie called. "Help me…"

"I cannot help you anymore, Yuffie. I wish I could," Lord Godo said with a hint of sadness in his voice. "You are no longer a little girl. Your father cannot be there to help you. You must help yourself."

"I hurt so much…" Yuffie cried.

"Pain is discipline, Yuffie. It is not easy to bear, at sometimes it is almost impossible. But it is necessary, and will now dominate the rest of your life, whether you want it to or not," Lord Godo said. "You are a warrior, Yuffie. There is but one lesson I have to teach you. Turn your blade on me, defeat me in combat, and your training will be complete!"

"Father… I could never hurt you…" Yuffie moaned.

"You must, Yuffie," Lord Godo ordered.

"I cannot!" Yuffie screamed. "It's as you've told me. Victory isn't always about winning fights. I'm broken, Father. If I were to face you in combat, I have no hope of victory."

Yuffie took her shuriken, lifted it up and threw it on the ground before her father.

"I surrender," Yuffie said solemnly. "Do with me as you will."

Yuffie bowed her head, and got on her knees. Lord Godo walked up to her and put his hand on her head.

"My little girl… when did you grow up?" Lord Godo asked.

Yuffie sat silently. Lord Godo stood to his tallest and bellowed loudly.

"Saints of Wutai! Five Mighty Gods! Hear my call! I, Lord Godo, descendant of Da Chao, proclaim Yuffie Kisaragi to be honored highest above all! Hail the Princess of Wutai!"

The red materia orb in the dragons mouth dropped to the ground and rolled to Yuffie.

"It is yours now, daughter. Your honor has been restored," Lord Godo entomed silently. "Do your best not to lose it again."

"Yes, Father," Yuffie cried, as she grasped the materia orb in her hand. A desire to turn it for profit or use it for evil ambitions did not once cross her mind.


	31. Chapter 30: Keystone

Chapter 30: Keystone

Yuffie awoke in her bed in Lord Godo's estate. It was still night time. A crescent moon hung in the air just outside her window and crickets from the riverbed were chirping incessantly. She tried to move, but found quickly that her arms and torso were wrapped tightly in bandages. A thick dressing was wrapped tightly over her chest, covering the deep stab wound from Staniv's pike.

Her arms had seen better days too. Her left wrist was sprained, and Yuffie was not sure when that had happened, but had assumed she had twisted it while she dragged herself up the last flight of stairs.

Yuffie examined her surroundings. Aeris sat in a wide chair with her feet propped up on an ottoman. She was dozing, but not quite asleep; it must have been her job to watch Yuffie. Yuffie turned to her left and saw Tifa lying in a sleeping bag on the ground.

She then chanced at getting up. Her legs were quite tired indeed from the stressful evening she'd had, but she was able to hold her own. She took a glance at her grandfather clock. It was 3:30 in the morning.

She opened her door and began making her way out into the hallway. From the guest bedroom she heard the deep rumbling snores of Barret and Cid. As she made it to the indoor garden she saw Red sleeping beneath the cherry blossom. Clearly he was more at home in nature.

She walked out into the plaza and saw Vincent sitting by himself next to the gong. Vincent turned to Yuffie, with his usual stony glare.

"Shouldn't you be resting up?" Vincent asked.

"Couldn't sleep," Yuffie explained. "What about you?"

Vincent shook his head.

"Oh right. You have nightmares," Yuffie nodded, remembering.

Vincent shrugged his shoulders, seemingly intent on not having a conversation.

"Come on, Vincent," Yuffie cajoled. "What's the deal with you? What could you have done that was so horrible?"

Vincent stood up. It seemed for a moment that he was going to run away, but he stood rooted to the spot.

"I let somebody die, when I had the power to save them," Vincent explained. "Somebody very dear to me."

"So?" Yuffie asked.

Vincent turned with a deadly glare in his eyes.

"What I mean is, don't you think you've suffered enough? When are you going to forgive yourself?" Yuffie asked.

Vincent turned away. "A bit hypocritical coming from the girl who not eight hours ago was losing her nerve over some stolen goods."

Yuffie bit her lip to restrain herself.

"I'm sorry," Vincent nodded. "You're too young and too pure to be able to comprehend my sin."

"Pure? Me?" Yuffie asked in partial shock.

Vincent nodded and returned to the estate.

---

Once again, the morning had come too soon for Cloud's liking. He had assembled his comrades and they were enjoying a quiet breakfast in the garden with Lord Godo. Yuffie seemed worse off than the others, although she was wrapped in bandages from her battles, so this was not surprising.

"I've done some research into the Ancients," Lord Godo explained. "I think you may be interested in what I have found."

Cloud nodded encouragingly. "Please tell us."

"Whether the Ancients found the Promised Land or not I cannot tell, but there is record of them creating a temple which supposedly houses a sort of powerful weapon," Lord Godo explained. "The text was very old and my knowledge of ancient languages is not what it once was, but it would seem that the way into this temple is a stone infused with the energy of the Lifestream."

"You mean materia?" Tifa asked.

"No. This stone is different. It is referred to in the text as the Keystone," Lord Godo explained.

"Keystone?" Aeris asked. "Where have I heard that before?"

"Reno mentioned something about it!" Barret recalled. "He said that some guy near Gongaga has it."

"A weapons dealer? What would he want with the Keystone?" Red asked.

"I'm not sure," Tifa rubbed her jaw. "But if there's a weapon of great power in this temple, then I bet you that's what Sephiroth is after."

"How would a weapon help him find the Promised Land?" Cait Sith asked.

"It would certainly help remove any unwanted obstacles," Cid pointed out. "Which I'm sad to say is all of us."

Yuffie didn't seem to have much to contribute to the conversation. Aeris put her arm around Yuffie's shoulder in an attempt to welcome her to the discussion, but she remained silent. It was clear that she was still ambivalent about her status in the group.

"Alright then. Let's take the Bronco to the Gongaga Peninsula, where the weapons dealer is," Cloud suggested. "From there we might be able to find out where this temple is."

Cloud got up, followed shortly by Vincent, Cid, Barret, Tifa, Aeris, Red and Cait Sith. Yuffie continued to sit next to her father.

"If I go with you guys," Yuffie said nervously. "I mean… What I did to you guys… and after everything you've done for me…"

"Quit your bellyaching!" Cid bellowed. "You're just a kid. We expect you to do stupid stuff now and again."

"Right," Cloud nodded. "If you still want to help us fight Sephiroth-"

"And Shinra-" Barret interjected.

"Then you're welcome to keep traveling with us," Cloud finished. "We can just act like none of this ever happened."

Yuffie again looked as though she was going to burst into tears, but simply bowed her head to Cloud and stood up.

"Father, is it really okay for me to leave?" Yuffie asked.

Lord Godo nodded. "You are not a child anymore, Yuffie. From here on, your path is your own."

Yuffie hugged her father. "I'll… try to make you proud."

"You already have, Yuffie," Lord Godo replied softly.

---

The Bronco had been undisturbed in the inlet, which was a great relief to Cid, who had felt uncomfortable leaving it unguarded in the strange territory.

"When we saw those suits in Wutai, I figured they might have found it," Cid admitted. "But I didn't want to just stop what we were doing to check on my girl."

"I don't suppose she'll fly?" Yuffie asked. "I mean, if we could get her fixed?"

"Nope. The only people in the world qualified to fix this are Shinra and me, but I lack the proper tools," Cid sighed. "But she's a boat too. Let's just head back to the coast of Gongaga and go talk to that weapons dealer."

Cloud looked at the vessel with apprehension. It was only slightly bigger than the buggy, and Red had to sit on top of that. They now had two more party members with them.

"We can fit," Barret said, reading Cloud's thoughts. "Some of us will sit on top, if need be."

"I do wish we'd stumble upon a ride that could fit us all though," Cait Sith sighed. "Sooner or later."

"Don't complain," Tifa scolded. "It beats walking."

"Or swimming, as the case is," Red observed.

---

The trip back to Gongaga was fairly uneventful, in spite of rough seas. Barret, Red and Cait Sith's Mog, who were forced to sit on top with ropes tied to their waists to prevent them falling overboard, were not too happy about it.

As they rounded the peninsula they saw a lone shack with a watermill and smoke billowing out of the chimney.

"I'm guessing that's where our weapon's dealer lives," Red observed as they docked the Bronco near the house.

Cloud and the others opened the cockpit doors and disembarked. The fact that they were bone dry seemed to greatly annoy Red and Barret. Cloud moved towards the door and saw that it was not like any other door he'd ever seen. It appeared to be made out of fused bits of scrap metal. But then, stepping back to observe the house at a distance, so did the whole house.

"This guy's not a weapons dealer, he's a scavenger," Cloud uttered in disgust. "I sure hope he doesn't have the Keystone. He'll have used it for a lamp."

Cloud rapped three times on the door and a deep voice barked. "Who is it?"

"We've come to ask you about something we heard you might have," Cloud was not sure how to word his request, so he just came out with it. "We were told you know something about a Keystone."

The door opened, and a man wearing a rather odd outfit, that looked like a cross between a Shinra uniform and a lab coat walked out. He wore thick goggles and was holding, apparently absent-mindedly, a running blowtorch.

"Keystone?" He asked, as the flame began to burn a scar into the side of his house. "Who told you about that?"

"Somebody who works for Shinra," Cloud replied dismissively. "Do you have it?"

"As a matter of fact I don't," the man retorted. "Gave it to a bodybuilder by the name of Dio."

"Bodybuilder?" Cait Sith asked, annoyed. "He's the owner of Gold Saucer!"

"Yeah. Either way I wasn't keen to say no to him. He gave me a couple of those guard machines as payment. Their parts have been rather useful in making weapons. Shinra does have the best toys don't they?" The man laughed. He took notice of his active blowtorch when a boiling piece of metal landed on his shoe. "Damn it!"

The man hobbled back inside, but Cloud didn't bother to follow him. It had all been a waste of time. Now they would have to head back to Gold Saucer, and as Shinra was no doubt crawling all over the place, it would be rather difficult to go asking about a Keystone.

"That's what Reno meant when he said he was 'laying a trap'," Cloud cursed. "Gold Saucer is full of Shinra at the moment."

"Well we'll just have to try, won't we?" Tifa demanded.

"I agree," Aeris nodded. "It's just across the river from here anyways. We'll go talk to Dio directly. I'm sure he'd be willing to part with it for the right price."

"And if he doesn't, we'll take it by force if necessary," Vincent spoke grimly, his hand instinctively reaching for his sidearm.

"Don't know if that'll be necessary," Cid nodded. "Every man's gotta price, and I used to deal with Dio back when I was keen on Shinra. He like's an exhibition. That Battle Arena, you know. It's where his office is."

"Great. Either we beat the hell out of him, or put on a show for him. That won't draw attention at all," Barret cursed.

---

"You did your job?" Tseng asked to Reno who was leaning casually against the ghostly chest board in the hotel, at the Ghost Square of Gold Saucer.

"Of course. I never fail," Reno nodded.

"You did not apprehend them, even though you had the opportunity to do so. How did you curb their suspicion?" Tseng asked.

"Didn't have to. I flat out told them it was a trap," Reno nodded. Tseng looked defiant, and so he added. "Well it's not like that was going to stop them. Besides our insider will be able to steer them in the right direction."

"On that note, I'm quite certain that I know exactly who that insider is," Tseng muttered, seemingly to himself.

"Whatever his true identity, he's pretty useful. Didn't think their kind was exactly fond of Shinra… or on anybody. Can they choose sides?" Reno asked.

Tseng shook his head. "That's irrelevant. The motivation of our informant is of little interest to me or the President."

"The President's got his head on backwards," Reno scoffed. "Frankly, I'm not sure we should be wasting all this manpower hunting down one man."

Tseng said nothing.

Rude and Elena opened the door and stood at attention next to them as Rufus walked in, tailed by Reeve and Hojo. Tseng stood at attention and saluted. Reno saluted, but didn't stop leaning.

"Is everything ready?" Rufus asked.

"Yeah," Reno nodded. "The Keystone will be in our hands in less than 24 hours. The real question is where this Temple of the Ancients is."

Rufus looked at Hojo, who straightened his glasses. "Well my specimen was able to answer that for us as well." 

"You mean that man in the black cape who you tortured?" Reeve asked coldly.

"That is the one," Hojo nodded, appearing to not catch the tone of Reeve's voice.

"I thought Sephiroth was the 'black-caped man'," Reno asked. "What's with the change here?"

"Well a large number of those soldiers that deserted a while ago have turned up in odd locales, wearing these black capes," Hojo explained. "All mumbling about Sephiroth, JENOVA, and a Reunion.

"That, of course, got me thinking. My hypothesis is on the brink of being confirmed. But I had to tread carefully. Taking too many test subjects may upset the delicate flow of their plan, so I resolved myself to only use one test sample, and a control group."

"Control group?" Rufus asked.

"A crew member aboard the Gelnika. Before the Gelnika was scuttled, I took him aside. He had roughly the same build and background as my test sample, except for the S Cells inside him," Hojo nodded.

Reno rose now, ready to strike. "You cut up a random member of our 202, just for a control group?!"

"He only felt minimal torment. There was no need to keep him alive for most of my tests," Hojo replied gleefully as though this absolved his crime.

Reno leapt at Hojo, but Tseng and Reeve restrained him. Hojo laughed derisively.

"Yes, a useful talent. Those without brains are around to protect those of us with them," Hojo smiled cruelly. "Anyways, with the location of the Temple of the Ancients, I feel we are much closer to having an answer."

"I'd like a few answers right now," Rufus demanded, who also seemed to be restraining himself from hitting Hojo.

"In time, Mr. President. I must finalize a few calculations before I make any final calls on this one. Don't worry, I feel that once we have entered the Temple of the Ancients our understanding of the situation will have greatly improved," Hojo cajoled.

Hojo strolled up the stairs and out of sight.

"Once we're done with him, let me be the one to do it," Reno begged. "Please let me finish that sick old bastard."

---

The Gold Saucer was crowded. Apparently the season was at its peak now, and it took Cloud and the others almost two hours to even get their way to the ticket booth. Dio had presented them with a Gold Ticket (a lifelong pass into the Gold Saucer) when he gave them the buggy, and so they were able to head through without fumbling for money.

Heading straight to the Battle Square on Cid's advice, they found Dio sitting on one of the desks, chatting with one of the attractive young attendants.

"Hey, Cloud!" Dio called, waving a hand jovially. "Good to see you again!"

Cloud was not exactly keen on seeing Dio. He had, after all, thrown him in the Corel Prison the last time they had met face-to-face.

"We heard from the Gongaga weapons dealer that you have the Keystone," Cloud stated, gauging Dio for a reaction.

This was unnecessary as Dio nodded. "You heard right. I suppose you're gonna ask for it too, eh?"

"Too?" Yuffie asked.

"Those Shinra guys came asking for it, but they weren't willing to put any effort into it," Dio laughed. "Kept offering me gil. I've got gil! What I need is a little entertainment!"

"Here it comes," breathed Cid.

"How'd you like to battle for the Keystone?" Dio asked, raising a threatening forearm and flexing menacingly.

Cloud sighed. "Is there really no other way?"

Dio shook his head. Cloud drew his sword, but Dio put up his hands.

"Hey, hey! What are you playing at?" Dio asked. "If we're gonna battle, first of all we're gonna do it in the ring. And second, we're gonna fight like men. No weapons."

Cloud looked down at his Buster Sword. He'd not yet fought in a battle without it. Not being able to use it seemed like a significant hindrance and in terms of muscle, Dio had the clear advantage.

"What do you say Cloud? Are you man enough to challenge me mono a mono?" Dio asked.

Cloud handed his sword to Tifa, who took it, buckling slightly under its weight. She, nor anyone else in the group, had appreciated how heavy the blade was as Cloud swung it about so smoothly.

"In the ring, then," Cloud nodded.

---

Cloud and Dio stood at opposite sides of the stone ring. The place seemed much larger now that Cloud was not running for his life.

"You ready Cloud? I'm not gonna hold back," Dio taunted.

"I'd keep your mouth shut unless you want to bite that tongue off. Don't forget, I'm an ex-SOLDIER," Cloud called back.

Dio rushed forward into the ring and Cloud met his movements. Dio managed to land the first punch, a hard right hook to Cloud's exposed underarm. Cloud fell back in pain. He had taken jabs and stings from powerful monsters that had not hurt as much. It was clear that Dio's size was not just a personality trait. This was an incredibly strong man.

Cloud feinted and hit Dio with an uppercut that hit Dio squarely in the chin, but Dio didn't even flinch. He grabbed Cloud's arm and tossed him against the wall like a plaything.

"You're gonna have to do better than that," Dio laughed.

Cloud looked at Dio, looking for any sign of weakness. He'd never win a straight grapple, and even a series of quick punches seemed pointless as it stood. He'd have to fight dirty.

There! A thick bruise on his left ankle; an old war wound. He was favoring his right side for a reason. Cloud took his chance. He faked at a right hook and the kicked Dio's left ankle as hard as he could manage. The muscle in Dio's leg didn't absorb the punch, or deflect it like a brick wall as Dio's chin had, but rather buckled under the force of Cloud's strike. Dio stumbled, but was back on his feet with renewed hatred in his eyes.

"That's a low blow, Cloud," Dio cursed. Then, for some reason, he smiled. "Not that I expected any less."

Dio lunged at Cloud with unexpected speed. A quick flurry of punches in Cloud's chest sent him to the ground, but Cloud took advantage of his low stature to edge forward and take another kick at the wounded ankle.

Dio yelped in pain again. Cloud rose up and stomped Dio's ankle a third time and then delivered a hard kick into his chest for the knockdown. Dio hit the floor hard, and moaned, clutching his ankle in pain.

"Damn it," Dio hissed. "I always forget to wear the damn brace for this ankle."

"How often do you challenge your guests to fight?" Cloud asked.

Dio stood up and limped towards Cloud. "Not too often. Then again, you're still the first to actually win against me."

Dio walked over to a torch bracket where he had hung his Champion's Belt, and extracted a small yellow stone from the center.

"Enjoy it, kid," Dio said, tossing the Keystone haphazardly to Cloud and limping out of the arena.


	32. Chapter 31: Date

Chapter 31: Date

Author's Note: I know this is a short chapter, but it took me a long time to get it just right. I was originally gonna combine this with the next chapter, but I figured this scene needed to be in a chapter of its own. So the next chapter is gonna merge with the one next to it, so the next one will be a biggun, I promise.

--

The Ghost Hotel was empty tonight. It was a rather amusing gimmick, a hotel designed to be a haunted house. While the first floor and graveyard served as haunted walks and spook alleys, the floors above were hotel rooms.

Cid was speaking with the clerk. He nodded in the direction of the group. The clerk seemed hesitant, but Cid spoke more animatedly, and the clerk finally nodded. Cid passed Cloud a casual thumbs up. The clerk gave Cid four bronze keys and then resumed his paperwork.

Cid walked over, chuckling at the ghosts playing chess in the corner.

"Four rooms. I figure the ladies will be in one, us gents can split the remaining three," Cid suggested.

"That sounds smart. Tomorrow we need to head straight to the Temple of the Ancients. Sephiroth is probably already there," Cloud ordered.

"Yeah, but I thought he needed the Keystone to get in," Yuffie asked. "That's why we went through all this trouble right? Let's just smash the thing!"

"Sephiroth has ways around the usual means, we already know this," Red suggested. "I agree with Cloud. We shouldn't dawdle. Straight to bed and we need to rise with the sun."

"Um… I know this might seem silly after all we've done so far," Cait Sith began. "But could you explain to the less veteran ones of us why we're chasing this guy?"

Cloud shrugged his shoulders. He had forgotten that some of the new members of the party were not familiar with the whole situation. No time like the present.

"We're chasing Sephiroth," Cloud began.

"Sephiroth and I were in SOLDIER together a long time ago. After a mission went bad, Sephiroth discovered something about his past. Something about him and all members of SOLDIER being created by the use of Mako. This is common knowledge, but apparently he, Sephiroth, was created in a different manner.

I couldn't begin to tell you about his motivations, but suffice to say he felt as though we- and by we I mean all of humanity- has somehow betrayed him. He is seeking the Promised Land, because he believes that somehow it will give him this revenge he's been looking for."

"And Shinra's looking for it just because of the Mako Energy," Barret chimed in. "We gotta stop both of them."

"Sounds like a scary guy," Cid said matter-of-factly. "But hey we've seen all sorts on this adventure so far."

Cloud shook his head. "Nothing even compares to Sephiroth. He's in a class of his own."

Tifa looked at the clock. "Quarter to midnight. We should probably get to bed."

Cait Sith took one of the keys. "Care to share a bunk Red?"

Red nodded.

Cid handed Aeris a key, and Yuffie and Tifa followed her up the stairs.

Cid walked up to Cloud and whispered in his ear. "I talked to the boys. They don't mind sharing with me. I figure the leader oughta have his own room."

"Were you expecting something to happen?" Cloud asked, shrewdly.

"Hey, I'm tryin' to do you a favor son," Cid's eyes glanced covetously over to Aeris and Tifa. "I mean the teenager's outta the question, but you got two pretty young things who…"

"Got it Cid," Cloud snapped, taking the key. "But I think I'll just be getting some sleep."

---

Cloud's room wasn't bad. A nice king size bed, and a view of the park. Cloud sat at the desk, and couldn't help but chuckle at the skull shaped pencil holder. His mind wandered. He couldn't fall asleep now. There were so many unknowns ahead. Would they really meet up with Sephiroth at this Temple? Finally?

The end of a long journey seemed to weigh down on him. He had devoted so much time. The past few months had been spent on this quest. The escape from the Shinra Tower seemed many years ago. The trek across the swamp and through the Mithril Cave. The battle at Fort Condor. Even the stowaway journey from Junon seemed as though it had happened in another lifetime.

There was a slight knocking at the door. A soft hand was pleading entrance. It was one of the women. What could they want?

"Come in," he called.

Aeris walked in. "Hey, Cloud."

There was something unusual about her tonight. They had fought alongside one another for months, had shared tents, caves, cramped hotels, and even a palace, and yet here she was nervous about crossing the threshold into his room.

"Hey Aeris. What's up?" Cloud asked.

Aeris's fingers didn't know what to do. They leant on one another for support. This reaction spread to her whole hand. She placed both of them behind her back, for fear that Cloud might notice this unusual reaction. What was going on?

"Um… I was just thinking…" Something unnatural clicked in Aeris. She seemed to have resolved herself to simple state what was on her mind, and her usual open nature returned. "You know, I still owe you a date."

"Now?" Cloud asked. "It was a joke, I thought."

Aeris seemed slightly hurt, but pressed on. "Well it's apparently the annual Night of Enchantment. All attractions are free!"

Cloud didn't know what to say. However considering what he was about to ask of her, to march headfirst into battle with the most dangerous human on the planet, he decided to humor her.

"Alright. I suppose so," Cloud nodded.

---

It was, in truth, the second date that Cloud had ever been on. The first had been a long time ago, when he had met Tifa in their hometown of Nibelheim. But this date felt like the first one. The two of them went to a play, ate at a restaurant in the Wonder Square, and at around 2:00 AM, Aeris dragged him to "just one more" attraction; the gondola ride at Round Square.

Fireworks lit up the sky. Even Cloud had to admit that it was beautiful.

"This was a lot of fun," Aeris said, although for some reason she was frowning.

"You don't look so happy," Cloud noted. "Is something the matter?"

Aeris shook her head. "I just…"

Cloud was so irritated. Why couldn't she come out and say it? Did she not trust Cloud? Was Cloud still just another comrade? A bodyguard? Perhaps Cid or Vincent, or maybe even Cait Sith might have an excuse at this point, but did the others not consider him a friend?

Did Cloud consider them friends though? Had he ever stopped to really think about it, he might have a more definite answer. But fighting alongside one another, risking your lives on a day-to-day basis; that had to make you more than just allies.

"Aeris, you can tell me anything," Cloud said.

He put his hand on her shoulder. Somehow this gesture made her next words obvious. Cloud did not even need to hear what she had to say at this point. The touch had done it. The connection between them said more than words could.

How had it happened? Cloud had known that Aeris liked him, certainly. And maybe she was flirtatious, but… oh how could he have been so stupid. Of course she loves you, you idiot.

"Cloud…" Aeris began.

"Aeris I… I'm not sure what to say," Cloud felt stupid even saying it.

Here he was, 21 year old Cloud Strife. Ex-SOLDIER, vanquisher of countless monsters and enemy combatants, a man who has had his mettle tested in ways that few other could dream, and the man who somehow survived a blow-to-blow fight with Sephiroth. But here he sat, unable to cope with a situation that he had absolutely no experience with.

"It's not fair," Aeris laughed. Although her laugh sounded more like a sob.

"What's not fair?" Cloud asked.

"It bothered me how you looked exactly alike. Two completely different people who look exactly the same. And it's not just looks… the way you walk, gesture. I think… I must have seen him again in you," Aeris shrugged her shoulders. "But you're different. It's not fair to you."

Cloud didn't know whether to laugh or not. He had a strange urge to, if only to break the tension of the moment.

"I don't follow you…" Cloud said.

"Cloud, I'm searching for you," Aeris said, leaning in closer.

Again Cloud was dumbstruck. "I'm… right here."

"I know that," Aeris sighed. "But I'm searching for you."


	33. Chapter 32: Tseng

Chapter 32: Tseng

Aeris and Cloud made their way back to the main square. Aeris turned to Cloud and smiled somewhat half-heartedly.

"Well, I had a great time tonight," she said.

Cloud half-expected her to kiss him, but something caught both of their attention. Cait Sith was wandering down the alleyway leading to the tunnels.

"Hey, Cait Sith!" Aeris called.

Cait Sith shook and his Mog froze. Cait Sith turned his head and re-adjusted his crown.

"Cloud, Aeris. I didn't expect to see you all out and about. You told us to be getting to bed and all," Cait Sith laughed nervously.

"So why aren't you in bed?" Cloud asked.

"I'm a robot. We don't need to sleep," Cait Sith chuckled. The Mog was keeping its back turned to them, and its hands covered.

Cloud wasn't sure what was going on. Aeris was giggling at the situation, but she must not have caught the tone that Cait Sith was taking. Something was amiss.

"What have you got there?" Cloud asked.

"What do you mean?" Cait Sith asked, tilting his head to the side, although his Mog was slowly moving in the direction of the tunnels now.

Suddenly, the Mog tripped over a wayward wrapper and did a sort of dance to correct its alignment, during which a flash of gold caught Cloud's eye.

"Heheh. Watch your step, Mog!" Aeris laughed.

"The keystone!" Cloud shouted.

Aeris did a double-take. She stopped laughing and then saw Mog cover up the stone. Cait Sith tried to put his hands up in protest, but in a split-second decided it was no good.

"Let's get outta here!" Cait Sith shouted, and the Mog bounded down towards the Chocobo Square tunnel.

Cloud and Aeris chased after him. Cloud had no idea what was going on, or why Cait Sith could possibly want the Keystone. All he knew was that if he was running from Cloud then he would give pursuit.

"What's going on?!" Aeris cried. "Can't we trust anybody anymore?!"

Cloud didn't respond. He leapt into the tunnel slide and landed in the Chocobo Square. The doors to the gambling area were shut tight. A race must have begun.

"Nowhere to run!" Cloud shouted, drawing his sword. "Hand over the Keystone now."

Suddenly a chopper rose up from beneath the platform and swooped overhead. Tseng leaned out of the open door and Reno shot Cloud a cocky smirk from the pilot seat. Cait Sith threw the Keystone to Tseng who caught it masterfully.

"Thank you, Cait Sith. You've done your job wonderfully," Tseng smiled. "No hard feelings Cloud."

And the chopper soared away. Cait Sith didn't try to run. Nor did he stay to gloat. If anything, he looked ashamed.

"Cait Sith!" Aeris shouted. "How could you?"

"It's his job," Cloud grunted darkly. "He's been the one feeding the Turks information about our whereabouts. I guess I was wrong about him."

"I didn't want this to happen," Cait Sith pleaded.

"What are you talking, 'want'? There's no defense for this. You're a machine, what could they do to you? You were programmed to be a spy," Cloud hissed.

"No, you don't understand. I'm a person. I use this doll as a means of remote communication and action," Cait Sith explained.

"Then you have even less of an excuse!" Aeris cried.

"Please listen to me. I had to do this for Shinra so they would stop tailing me… but now, I still want to help you," Cait Sith said.

"What?" Cloud snapped. He was not expecting this.

"You people make no sense to me. You don't get paid, you don't get praised. You just do the right thing because… because it's all you know how to do," Cait Sith sighed. "I could never be like that."

"Clearly," Aeris retorted icily.

"Fine," Cait Sith said coolly. "I didn't want it to come with this, but…"

Cait Sith pulled out a small radio from the Mog's pouch. He clicked it on and a young girls voice rang out.

"Hello! Who's there? Flower lady?"

The voice belonged to Marlene.

"You son of a bitch," Cloud cursed, grabbing Cait Sith by the collar.

"I didn't want to take a hostage, but I didn't want to stop traveling with you either. I'm not harming her in anyway, I promise! She was taken in by Shinra anyways, I'm just keeping an eye on her. She's actually safer with me, please believe me!" Cait Sith was sobbing now, and were it possible large tears would be sliding down the nylon whiskers.

Cloud set Cait Sith down.

"Please. I can still be of use. I want to help you stop Sephiroth," Cait Sith pleaded. "And Shinra has no more use of me."

"Your word is meaningless," Cloud spat.

"Please… you gave Yuffie another chance," Cait Sith begged.

"Yuffie didn't sell us out to Shinra!" Cloud cursed, his voice rising.

"That's true," Cait Sith said, his ears drooping. "But nothings really changed you know. It's not like you have a choice. I'm still gonna follow you wherever you go. Come on, we'll just head to the Temple tomorrow. Shinra will get there first, of course, but we might still be able to stop Sephiroth."

Cloud was quaking with fury. There was nothing he could do now. He was as good as working for Shinra now. Aeris walked up to Cait Sith. She looked down at the cat, and then turned around with that familiar look of resolve that Cloud recognized all too well.

"I believe him," she said.

"Are you insane?" Cloud half-cried, half-gasped.

"I know you don't understand, but please. It's not like we have a choice anyways, but I believe that Cait Sith is truly sorry," Aeris nodded.

Cloud couldn't help but notice what a sudden change this was, but to his knowledge, Aeris had not been wrong about a judgment of character yet.

"Fine. But as long as you're in this group you still follow my orders, understand?" Cloud barked. "Off to bed."

---

As it had so often on their journey, morning had arrived in a flash. There was knock on Cloud's door, who (for the first time in living memory) was the last one awake.

"Come in," Cloud groaned.

It was Barret.

"So, we headin' out?" Barret asked, looking at Cloud's disheveled figure. "I mean we all heard about what that cat did. There's not really a rush anymore is there?"

"Are you kidding me?" Cloud asked tersely. "Now there's more of a rush. We have to get there before Shinra does any damage."

Barret nodded. "Awright. Then let's get a move on."

---

Having Cait Sith in a hair-trigger standoff was not a pleasant situation. However, despite Cloud's initial fears, Cait Sith seemed only too happy to follow orders. Whether this was a genuine expression of sorrow, a plea for forgiveness, an attempt to further manipulate him, or his desire for things to remain at the status quo, Cloud neither knew nor cared.

His fury with Cait Sith ebbed away bit by bit the closer to the Temple of the Ancients the Little Bronco got. His anger slowly replaced with the lingering focused terror that had consumed him the night before.

This was it. This was where Sephiroth was waiting for him. It would all end here.

They landed on a small island just south of Junon after almost a full day's journey. The sun was beginning to set and Cloud was now worrying that he may have waited too long.

The large structure in the middle of the island stood tall in the center of the small forest, a strange ziggurat with etchings that could be read from the shore, albeit it was only a few hundred yards in distance.

Aeris led the way. Cait Sith stood in the middle of the group with Barret and Cid placed on either side of him- by pure chance, of course.

When Aeris took her first step onto the stone structure, she collapsed. Cloud rushed forward, followed by Tifa and Vincent.

"A trap?" Vincent called.

"Aeris are you okay?" Tifa asked, shaking her.

But Aeris wasn't in pain. She was smiling vacantly, her eyes empty. "I can hear them. So clearly now. More than ever."

"Aeris, snap out of it!" Cloud shouted.

Aeris shook her head and slowly stood up.

"This place. It's full of voices. So many of them. I can't understand them all," Aeris explained. "They're trying to warn us. They're telling me not to come."

Red grunted. "Unfortunately, that is not an option is it?"

"I don't think so," Aeris sighed. "He's here. I can feel him. He's the reason these voices are so urgent."

"Well let's not keep him waiting," Cloud nodded, raising his sword.

They rose up the stairs and entered the large atrium. Murals decorated the walls and light only shone from a single glowing pedestal. Its perfectly cubical shape was marred by a dark figure lying in a bloody heap near it.

Aeris rushed up to the man and lifted him up.

"Sephiroth," he muttered.

Wiping the blood off his face with a handkerchief, Aeris revealed the man to be none other than Tseng.

"Tseng!" Aeris cried.

"What happened?" Cloud asked, with far less concern in his voice than Aeris.

"It was Sephiroth… He's inside… I managed to get out… but all Shinra has been pulled back… he was too much for us…" Tseng spat out blood.

"Save your strength!" Aeris cried. "Let me help you."

Tseng had a look in his eyes that Cloud had never seen before. It was almost a look of remorse.

"What are you doing?" Tifa demanded.

"Yeah!" Barret shouted, "He's one of the enemies!"

Aeris stood and turned with a fierce look on her eyes. "He's not a threat to us! I can't let him die!"

"I must agree with Aeris," Red nodded. "The man dragged himself from the bowels of the temple by force of will. It would be a shame to have his efforts be wasted."

When no one else uttered a word of protest, Aeris began to heal Tseng. After a half-hour of working her magic, Tseng was finally able to stand.

"You have never seen such power," Tseng sighed. "Sephiroth is on a whole other level."

Tseng looked at Cloud, and patted his shoulder. "I'm going to disappear for a while. Shinra has no need for somebody like me. Take this."

And he handed the Keystone to Cloud.

"I have seen what awaits this world," Tseng cried. "We don't stand a chance."

He limped out of the door and slowly began to walk down the stairs. The group turned to Aeris, who simply bowed her head.

"You don't understand. I've known him since I was a child. There aren't many people who I can say that about…" Aeris sighed. "And… there's already been too much death on this journey."

Cloud handed Aeris the Keystone. "Then lets end it."

Aeris smiled, and placed the Keystone in the center of the altar.


	34. Chapter 33: Ancients

Chapter 33: Ancients

The reaction was immediate. As soon as the stone rested within the altar, a stream of light wove its way around it along a set of grooves, lighting up smaller orbs along the way. Suddenly the light seemed to engulf them all. The building itself seemed to spin along a set axis as they descended inside it.

They stopped spinning and found themselves in a massive cavernous room, filled with stairwells. Barret groaned in annoyance, and Aeris gasped, as if in pain.

"Aeris?" Cloud asked, turning towards her.

"The voices keep getting stronger. We have to hurry," Aeris said.

They began walking through the series of stairs, which seemed to be a labyrinth within itself. Every time they found a new path to follow, they would end up only a short distance from their starting point. They would then try to retrace their steps only to end up in a completely different place.

At one point Cloud glanced across the field of stairs to see Cait Sith, Red, and Barret (who he swore were only a few feet behind them) waving and shouting trying to get their attention. Back and forth, up and down, and the obvious exit did not present itself. After three hours of this maze they finally took a breather on a barren landing.

"I never want to see another set of stairs in my life!" Barret groaned.

"If we don't find out where we're supposed to go we'll never stop Sephiroth in time," Tifa complained. "Aeris, can't the voices give us some practical information?"

Red growled in indignation, but Aeris smiled. "I'm sorry. I can barely understand them. They're all speaking at once."

"Hey!" Cid shouted from the landing below. "What about this?"

They all looked down over the ledge and saw Cid standing in front of a door with a bejeweled archway. Two torches stood on either side, their flames a bright blue.

"That's as good a bet as any," Cloud nodded. "Come on."

The door way opened, only after Barret, Vincent, Cid and Cloud put their weight against it. Inside there was a massive rumbling noise. As they walked down the narrow, darkened path, they soon found the source of the rumbling.

Massive, U-shaped boulders were rolling down the path ahead of them in an infinite (or so it seemed) loop.

"What kind of gimmick is this?" Yuffie cursed.

"Looks like we'll have to time our journey pretty carefully," Cloud sighed. "I'll go first."

Cloud watched the pattern for a moment and then rushed ahead, ducking each time the cavity of the boulders approached him. He stopped at a bend in the hallway and signaled for the others to move along.

Naturally this task was simple for Cait Sith, although his Mog was unable to duck beneath the cavities. This did not seem to bother him, however, as he simply let the rolling boulders carry him to Cloud.

Yuffie went next, and was actually able to outrun the boulders. Tifa, Red and Vincent were able to do the same. Cid, who acknowledge that as a chain smoker running wasn't really his thing, simply followed Clouds suit, ducking at each cavity.

Barret went next, but he missed his ducking by an inch and the boulder rolled over his toe. He shouted obscenities and moved towards the bend in the hallway where the others had convened.

"Damn it all," Barret cursed loudly.

Aeris was the last up, and when she walked into the hallway something strange happened. The boulders stopped.

"What the-?" Aeris looked behind her at the falling boulder, now frozen in place.

She walked tentatively down the path towards the others, and the moment she joined them in the hallway, the boulders started up again.

"Guess you're friends are helping you out," Barret said.

"Yeah, I suppose so," Aeris replied, looking back at the hallway. "Come, let's continue."

As they moved through the hallway, they saw a large chamber with a massive fountain. Inside the fountain was a strange substance. Cloud couldn't decide if it looked more like liquefied gas or gaseous liquid.

Cloud was about to move ahead, when Aeris stopped and looked at this fountain.

"This is important," she said, as she touched the fountain.

Suddenly, Aeris let out a scream of terror and collapsed. Tifa and Cloud rushed to her. Tifa pulled some of the smelling salts from her medicine bag and began to waft them in front of her nose. Aeris finally came to after a moment, gasping for breath as though she had been saved from drowning.

"I saw him," she said. "Sephiroth, he's really here."

"We know that already," Vincent said, somewhat coldly.

"No… he's… you don't understand. He's here, but he's not here," Aeris tried to explain, but shook her head. "Never mind. Let's continue onward."

Cloud eyed her cautiously for a moment, but then lead the way into the next chamber.

This room was multi-leveled, but nowhere near as complex as the stairwell room. Cloud saw on the bottom level another door identical to the one that Cid had found earlier. They leapt down the levels to the door and again it took the force of the four men to open them.

This room was a massive hallway with a mural decorating the passage. At the end of the passage was a floating hologram. Aeris gasped.

"Here."

Cloud drew his sword and cautiously moved forwards. Everybody else raised their respective weapons and followed closely behind him.

The mural depicted a group of people huddling around the ziggurat, panic in their eyes. As the mural went on, a large orb grew closer and closer, until all that was left was the shattered remains of the temple.

"Enchanting, isn't it?" Came a dark, familiar voice.

"Sephiroth," Cloud hissed as Sephiroth appeared in front of him, rising through the floor.

"What the-?" Yuffie gasped. "How did he do that?"

"Do you understand yet, Cloud?" Sephiroth asked.

"What are you talking about?" Cloud demanded.

Sephiroth laughed and nodded towards the mural. "Look well."

Cloud wasn't about to take his eyes off of Sephiroth. Sephiroth seemed to catch this, so he explained himself. "This is that which adds to the knowledge of-"

Sephiroth stopped, and then turned away from them. "I am becoming one with the Planet. Soon... we will become one."

Aeris rushed forward. "How!" She demanded. "How do you intend to become one with the planet?"

Sephiroth turned towards her, and smirked in a condescending manner. "It's simple. Once the Planet is hurt, it gathers Spirit Energy to heal the injury. The amount of energy gathered depends on the size of the injury. ...What would happen if there was an injury that threatened the very life of the Planet? Think how much energy would be gathered! Ha ha ha. And at the center of that injury, will be me. All that boundless energy will be mine. By merging with all the energy of the Planet, I will become a new life form, a new existence. Melding with the Planet... I will cease to exist as I am now... Only to be reborn as a God to rule over every soul."

"An injury powerful enough to destroy the planet?" Aeris asked, stepping back.

"Behold!" Sephiroth shouted, once again pointing towards the mural. A single black wing shot out of his back. "The ultimate destructive black magic. Meteor. And to summon it…"

Suddenly Sephiroth disappeared.

"Where'd he go?" Cid shouted.

"Come back you coward!" Barret cursed.

"Guys! Cloud!" Tifa shouted.

Cloud had fallen to the ground. He was shaking and giggling. His eyes were out of focus and his mouth was drooling. "Heheh. Meteor… summon with… meteor… black… materia…"

"Cloud!" Vincent shouted, slapping Cloud awake. "Snap out of it!"

"I'm Cloud… I should… I remember… my way…"

"Cloud!" Aeris shouted.

Cloud's eyes regained their focus and he seemed startled that somebody was holding onto him. "What's wrong? What is it? Where's Sephiroth?"

"He's gone. And we thought he took your brain when he left," Cid nodded.

"You were babbling," Cait Sith added. "Weren't making any sense."

"A calamity from the sky… Wait a minute, was this what Sephiroth was talking about?" Cloud stood up and looked at the mural.

"Is he still nuts?" Yuffie asked.

"No, remember in Nibelheim!" Cloud shouted. "He said that there would be a calamity from the skies… this must be what he was talking about…"

"This must be magic. Just what Sephiroth was saying. The Ultimate Destructive Magic, Meteor. It finds small drifting planets with its magic. And then collides with them. This Planet might get wiped out entirely," Aeris explained.

"How do you-?" Barret began.

"The voices. They're clearer now," Aeris nodded.

"What's this hologram?" Red asked, nodding at the hologram.

Cloud gave the floating structure a look, and saw that it was a model of the temple. And on the base of the platform was etched the words…

"Black materia?" Cloud asked. "Wait a minute… so the Black Materia is in here somewhere?"

"No!" Aeris explained. "Don't you understand?"

Cloud scoffed. He was getting a little tired of hearing that question.

"This temple. This is the black materia!" Aeris explained. "The traps are designed to keep people from claiming it."

"What the hell?" Cid asked. "How can a building be materia?"

"It is!" Aeris insisted. "As you solve the puzzles, the temple shrinks… however…"

"If it gets too small, then you'd be killed," Vincent said.

"That's the point. The ancients must have done this to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands," Red said.

"Well then that's it. Sephiroth can't take it, so let's just forget about it," Yuffie suggested.

Cloud shook his head. "No. Sephiroth has a ton of followers who would sacrifice themselves for him. We have to stop him from taking this materia…"

"So one of us has to die?" Tifa asked, uncomfortably.

"Nobody has to die lass," Cait Sith smirked. "Have you forgotten you got a robot in your midst?"

"Cait Sith?" Aeris asked.

"I'll be okay. There are plenty of other robots who can help you out, but you said yourself if we don't take this materia now, then we're all as good as dead!" Cait Sith nodded.

"But… you'll die," Aeris said, her eyes starting to water.

"Aeris," Cait Sith nodded. "I said I wanted to make up what I did to you. Now's a perfect chance to redeem myself."

Cloud nodded. "Are you sure you can do this?"

Cait Sith nodded. "It's not like we have another choice!"

"Right. Cait Sith, be strong," Aeris smiled.

Cait Sith grinned. "How about one last reading eh? For old time's sake?"

Aeris smiled, even though tears were in her eyes. "How about testing how compatible Cloud and I are?"

Tifa rubbed her shoulders nervously and turned away, with the pretense of watching their backs.

Cait Sith did the same dance, and the same blue light appeared in front of him. "Your stars look bright. I see Cloud's stars and Aeris's stars in perfect unison…"

Cloud put his hand on Cait Sith's shoulder. "Thank you."

"Right!" Cait Sith nodded. "Now hurry up and get out of here! I'll give you five minutes before I start working on the puzzle."

"Five minutes?" Yuffie demanded.

"That's fine," Aeris nodded. "The exit is just outside."

"What?" Cloud asked.

They opened the doors again, and sure enough, it lead them outside the temple. The smell of the trees was like heaven after the musty halls and fire.

"She told me to be strong," Cait Sith smiled, as the doors closed behind him.


	35. Chapter 34: Black Materia

Chapter 34: Black Materia

The temple disappeared in a blast of white light. Cloud and the others found themselves laying on a dirt patch, where once the Temple had been. In the center of this patch was a massive hole that sunk down several dozen feet into the ground.

A black gem was glittering in the sunlight from the bottom of the hole.

"The Black Materia," Cloud said, as he began to climb down the gap.

"God damn I need a cigarette," Cid cursed, lighting up. "Jeez, that's better. It's really something having a smoke at a place like this…"

Tifa looked over at Cid with a scandalized look on her face.

"What, we went through a lot of shit in there, it's my coping mechanism," Cid replied.

Cloud finally reached the bottom and grabbed the black orb. "As long as we have this, Sephiroth won't be able to use Meteor."

Aeris jumped down into the gap next to Cloud. She began to look at the orb with great interest. Cloud wondered if she had ever seen or heard of this before now.

"Can you… uh, can you guys use it?" Cloud asked.

"Nope, we can't use it right now," Aeris shook her head. "You need great spiritual power to use it."

"You mean lots of Spiritual energy?"

"That's right. One person's power alone won't do it. Somewhere special. Where there's plenty of…" Aeris gasped, having finally connected the dots. "The Promised Land!"

Red called down to them. "The Promised Land. Is that what Sephiroth was referring to?"

Aeris shrugged. "Sephiroth is different. He's not an Ancient."

"Then, he shouldn't be able to find the Promised Land," Cloud theorized.

Cloud felt, rather than heard a heartbeat behind him. He turned and looked up to see Sephiroth sitting on a ledge near them.

"Sephiroth!" Cloud shouted, raising his sword.

"Ah, but I have. I'm far superior to the Ancients. I became a traveler of the Lifestream and gained the knowledge and wisdom of the Ancients. And soon, I will create the future," Sephiroth smiled, ignoring Cloud entirely. His eyes met Aeris.

Aeris shuddered under his gaze.

"I won't let you do it! The future is not only yours!" Aeris retorted.

"Ha, ha, ha... I wonder?" Sephiroth turned to Cloud and raised his hand. "Wake up!"

At first, Cloud seemed not to react at all, but then something changed. His eyes slowly slipped out of focus, and he began moving towards Sephiroth slowly, as if he was being dragged along on a marionette string.

"There, Cloud... good boy," Sephiroth laughed, his hand outstretched.

Cloud slowly moved forward, lifting his own hand. The hand which still held the Black Materia.

"Cloud, no!" Tifa shouted.

"What are you doing?" Yuffie demanded.

Cloud moved forward even slower now, as though every step cost him a considerable amount of strength.

"Cloud!" Red shouted.

"Are you an idiot?" Barret cursed.

In one last cry of pain, Cloud slipped the Black Materia into Sephiroth's hand.

"Well done," Sephiroth grinned. A single large black wing shot out of his back and he flew into the air. "Thank you friends. Your help has been very much appreciated."

And with that he flew off to the north.

Barret and Vincent began firing wildly. Yuffie threw her shuriken and Red even tried to chase him for a few hundred yards until finally he was well out of sight.

Cloud collapsed to the ground, clutching his head.

"Cloud, are you all right?" Aeris asked. "Answer me!"

"I gave the Black Materia to Sephiroth? Wha... what did I do... tell me, Aeris…"

"Cloud… be strong, okay?" Aeris pleaded.

"What did I do?" Cloud cried. "What did I do!"

A dream. But not quite. There was something real about it. All Cloud could focus on was his own desperation.

There was a massive room filled with white light that slowly transformed into a brilliant forest of evergreens.

And then, a voice.

"Cloud, can you hear me?"

It was Aeris. He saw her walk into the frame of his mind, the center of this room… or was it a picture of a room.

"Yeah, I hear you. Aeris, what have I done?"

Aeris shook her head. "Don't worry about it."

"I can't help it!" Cloud shouted, and he sounded childish even to himself.

"Okay," Aeris sighed. "Why don't you let me worry about it? You just take care of yourself for now."

"What is this place?" Cloud asked, looking around the trees.

"This forest leads to the City of the Ancients... and is called the Sleeping Forest. It's only a matter of time before Sephiroth uses Meteor. That's why I'm going to protect it. Only a survivor of the Cetra, like me, can do it. This secret is just up here. At least it should be. ...I feel it. It feels like I'm being led by something.

Then, I'll be going now. I'll come back when it's all over."

"Aeris… don't go, please," Cloud begged.

But, she was off, deep into the forest. He tried to chase after her, but his feet would not carry him. A dark figure approached him from behind.

"She's thinking of interfering? She will be a difficult one, don't you think? We must stop that girl soon."

"No!" Cloud shouted, falling out of a wicker bed and landing on the ground of a hut.

"You look like you was havin' a nightmare. How are you feeling?" Came Barret's voice as Cloud felt his strong arms lifting him up off the ground.

Cloud dusted himself off. "I seem to be okay. Where are we?"

"Gongaga," Barret explained. "Cid thought it'd be the best place to lay low until we thought of a plan."

"A plan for what?" But suddenly another worry came to Cloud's mind. "Aeris? Where is she?"

Tifa walked into the room, having heard Cloud fall. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Where is Aeris?" Cloud asked.

Tifa hung her head. "Cloud. Aeris is gone."

Cloud sunk back into his bed and rubbed his eyes.

"No relax Cloud, we all out looking for her," Barret said.

"The City of the Ancients. Aeris is headed there," Cloud explained.\

"City of the Ancients?" Barret asked.

"It's some place in the north, the same place Sephiroth is heading," Cloud groaned. "Only the Ancients, only Aeris can save us from the Meteor…"

"Then we must go," Tifa said. "What'll we do if something happens to Aeris? And if Sephiroth finds her, she's in trouble."

Cloud shook his head. "Sephiroth. He already knows."

"Then why the hell are you still sittin' around?" Barret shouted. "Get off your ass, man!"

"No. I might lose it again. If Sephiroth comes near me, who knows what I'll do next time?" Cloud put his hands over his eyes once again.

"Yeah, goddammit! It's 'cuz of you that Sephiroth got the Black Materia in the first place. It's your damn fault!" Barret shouted.

Cloud didn't move his hands from his eyes. "I know it's my fault."

"I know you got problems... hell, we all do. But you don't even understand yourself. But you gotta understand that there ain't no gettin' offa this train we're on, till we get to the end of the line," Barret said, pounding his fist on the table next to him.

"Cloud, we came this far... Aren't you going to settle up with Sephiroth?" Tifa asked.

"That doesn't matter now!" Cloud shouted, standing up. "Don't you get it? I'm afraid if this keeps up, I may go crazy! I'm afraid…"

Cloud couldn't finish his sentence and he sat back down.

"Just a damn jackass, that's what you are. Since when the hell do you run away from anything, Cloud?" Barret cursed.

"Cloud," Tifa placed her hands in Clouds as she bent down next to him. "You'll come with us, right? I believe in you."

Barret marched out the door. Tifa let her hands linger in Cloud's for a moment longer before she too left.

After an hour, Cloud finally found the strength to join the group outside the hut.

"Cloud," Tifa reached her hand out for his.

"Hey, how are you?" Barret asked. "So what's it gonna be? You still our leader?"

"I want to come with you all. I don't know why I'm scared of the truth but…"

"If it happens, it happens. Don't worry 'bout it," Barret nodded.

Cloud nodded back.

"Very well. We're heading to the continent north of here. We need to look for this City of the Ancients."


	36. Chapter 35: Reeve

Chapter 35: Reeve

Bone Village was hard to miss if you traveled to the North Continent. From the only decent beach (the rest of the continent being surrounded by impassable cliffs) a short hike north through the forest would set you right in the middle of the massive dig site.

The foreman of this operation was an odd looking sort, and had the kind of mannerism one might expect of a person whose job involved handing explosives every day. He was tough, technically adept, and hard of hearing.

"You're trying to find a girl you say?" The foreman asked after what seemed like fifteen minutes of Cloud trying to explain himself. "Oh yeah I saw her. Cute young thing went into the Sleeping Forest north of here."

"Then that's where we're headed," Cloud said, moving towards the forest.

"Eh… I wouldn't do that if I were you," The foreman warned. "That forest is ancient as anything and some say that it finds way to protect itself. It's called 'The Sleeping Forest' because when somebody enters it, the forest seems to wake up. Folks who go in aren't ever seen again."

"Haunted trees. Got it, we'll watch out for bland clichés," Yuffie rattled unimpressed. "Come on, Cloud. Time's wasting."

"I don't think so," The foreman said moving in front of the back exit to the town. "I'm not gonna have another stupid band of kids getting ruined by these woods. I don't want to have to clean up the mess when and if your bodies are recovered."

"We have to get through," Cloud said, moving towards the foreman in a threatening manner. "There's no alternative."

"Listen, according to local legend you can calm the Sleeping Forest by playing the Lunar Harp. This man went in yesterday carrying it. Funny looking guy. Wore a black cape," the foreman said.

"Sephiroth was here?" Cloud demanded.

"Well that does it. We have to go through there now!" Tifa exclaimed.

"Without the Harp you're as good as dead. Look I don't know what you are trying to do but surely it can wait until that guy comes back," the foreman said.

"Trust us, it can't," Cid nodded.

"We'll just have to try our luck with the woods," Barret said. "Now get out of the way mac."

The foreman slammed his hardhat down on the ground. "Fine! You wanna go get killed knock yourselves out!"

A loud explosion shook the town.

"Jeez, boss! You hit the detonator!" A worker shouted.

"You almost took my arm off!" Another barked back.

"Damn it," The foreman cursed. "Get out of my sight."

* * *

"How is Tseng doing?" Rufus asked.

He and his staff sat in a meeting room in the top tower of Junon. The repairs to the Highwind were almost complete and both of their quarries had last been spotted heading to the North Continent.

Scarlet sipped on a glass of wine and shrugged her shoulders heartlessly. Heidegger fielded the question.

"He will be alright. Apparently that Ancient girl helped him," Heidegger said.

Rufus bit his lip and sighed. "Things are getting complicated."

"How so?" Reeve asked.

"I'm getting the sense that we are being left behind. Sephiroth and these terrorists keep running amok doing as they please and we are always one step behind," Rufus said. "I'll not have it anymore."

"Isn't that why we doubled up repair efforts on this airship?" Reno asked slyly. "Didn't you want to beat those two to this 'Promised Land'?"

"Wait a minute I'm a little behind," Palmer interjected. "Wasn't the Temple the Promised Land?"

"Apparently not," Rufus shook his head and turned back to the window. "North of Icicle Inn is a great glacier that has only been seen by a few. North of that we've never really explored. It is, for all intents and purposes, a ghost land."

"You think that's where this 'Promised Land' is then?" Heidegger asked.

Hojo walked into the room, tapping on his clipboard. "If that is the case then Sephiroth and perhaps even Aeris are likely heading there."

"So be it," Rufus said, raising his hands in a noncommittal way. "But we're getting there first."

The lights of the airport flashed green and the Highwind Airship rose into the sky. The cries of triumph from the workers below echoed into the room.

"And what about the terrorists?" Reeve asked.

"They've been a thorn in my side for too long. I gave them a chance and they spit in my face. I want them executed," Rufus said.

"That sounds like a job for us," Reno smirked.

Rufus turned to Reno and scowled. "Wipe that smirk off your face. You could have apprehended them at any point and you've let them get away."

Reno still smiled. "That was your plan boss. Trying to get them to find the Keystone for you, remember. I wanted to take them out, but I am a loyal soldier."

Rufus's scowl intensified. He turned to Heidegger. "The behavior of your subordinates does not reflect well on you, Heidegger. First the mass desertions and now I'm being talked to like a child by a worthless Turk."

Heidegger scowled right back at Rufus. Things were getting ugly fast. Rufus turned to Scarlet.

"And you. You're still working on that Huge Materia project behind my back, aren't you?" Rufus asked.

"Of course," Scarlet nodded. "Just as Hojo is still breeding his pets."

Rufus turned away from the group and looked at Reeve.

"And what's your little secret?" Rufus asked. "Come on. Everybody in this company is doing whatever they can to undermine my authority. What are you doing?"

"Keeping tabs on the enemy, of course. After all, Cait Sith was my invention," Reeve smirked. "What made him decide to act autonomously is beyond me, but I now no longer am able to exert control over him."

"God, man. You can't even keep a robot in line," Rufus cursed.

"I have created a second model. The first was destroyed in the Temple of the Ancients. I managed to recover his OS and am implanting it as we speak. I'll send it to 'help' our terrorist friends and we'll be able to track their movements again," Reeve nodded.

Rufus, finally, seemed satisfied by something.

"Well what are we waiting for?" Rufus asked. "We have a flight to catch, people."

* * *

The Sleeping Forest was unlike any other that the party had traveled through. The foreman had not overstated the sheer eeriness of the place. Light cascaded sparingly through the dense pine and the soft layer of snow that lay underfoot and misted the trees gave a ghostly feel to the place.

A single path meandered through the wood and the party stuck to it like a life-line. They had encountered many strange things on their journey and a human-devouring forest was not outside the realm of possibility.

"How did Aeris make it through here without the Lunar Harp?" Tifa asked. "Assuming that's not just a legend."

"Am I the only one who has heard of this forest before?" Red sighed.

The group turned to Red, confusion mixed with curiosity.

"The Sleeping Forest is the guardian to the Lost Capitol; the old city of the Ancients. It is designed to repel unworthy pilgrims so that the holy land is not desecrated," Red explained. "The Lunar Harp was a Cetra artifact. Playing the harp while traveling would undo the enchantment of the forest. It was designed to allow non-Cetra to pass unharmed. However the Cetra themselves needed no proof of their worthiness."

"So how did Sephiroth find it?" Cid asked.

"I'm not certain. Perhaps it was in the Temple of the Ancients, or else he had recovered it on a previous visit," Red stopped dead in his tracks.

The others looked ahead and saw what had caused Red such disquiet. There was a wall of mist that hung in the air in front of them.

"We'll never be able to stick to the path!" Yuffie cursed. "That's as thick as pea soup!"

"That's not a natural mist," Vincent said as he slowly approached the shroud.

Red nodded. "Indeed. If I am correct, obscured vision should be the least of our worries."

"Poison?" Tifa asked.

"In a manner of speaking," Vincent said tapping the mist with his claw. And suddenly in a bolt of red, Vincent charged into the mist.

"Vincent!" Yuffie cried.

His form disappeared completely. For a moment, nobody moved. Then suddenly they heard footsteps approach from behind. They turned to see Vincent walking up the path behind them.

"Interesting," Vincent said coolly.

"We'll have to find another path," Cloud sighed.

"That's not a good idea. It's what the forest wants us to do. It blocks the path ahead so that we stray from it," Red insisted.

"Well we gotta do something!" Barret shouted. "For all we know Sephiroth has found Aeris already!"

"Listen, we'll just stick together and go slowly," Cloud said.

And with that, he began to creep through the trees.

* * *

"Final touches are done," A crewmate of the Highwind said to Reeve, who sat at a table in the Highwind's conference room. "Cait Sith 2.0 is ready for action whenever you like."

"Thank you," Reeve nodded. "What's our ETA?"

"We'll be over the drop zone in about thirty minutes," The crewmate nodded.

"Heh. Cutting it a tad fine aren't we?" Reeve joked.

"It was your program, we all knew it'd be a simple install," The crewmate smiled. "You've got some brains for an executive."

"I appreciate that. Urban development is more of a hobby for me, especially under the current regime," Reeve rolled his eyes ruefully.

"Don't let Rufus hear you say that. He's on the warpath lately," The crewmate sighed. "Convinced his own staff is out to get him."

"He's right," Reeve said, standing up. "The company is falling apart. Listen to me. I want you to keep the altered specs to yourself. Destroy your notes and send them a copy of the original model."

"But that's fraud and treason," The crewmate protested.

"Trust me. We'll be in worse shape if Rufus finds out the modifications I've made."

"Where is everybody?" Yuffie shouted.

The trees around here seemed to be closing in, the air was thick. Sweat ran down her body as she saw nothing familiar.

"Hey!" She screamed, running towards any opening she could find.

A few miles away Barret's machinegun arm was firing wildly. She ran towards the sound. Barret stood on the spot firing at nothing.

"Barret?" Yuffie asked.

"Yuffie!" Barret gasped. He seemed to have not realized what he'd been doing.

"How did we get separated?" Yuffie asked.

"How long has it been?" Barret asked.

Red stumbled out of the brush, but there was something inhuman in his gaze. For the first time since the two had first met him he seemed like a wild beast. Red leapt on Barret, knocking him down. Yuffie screamed, sinking to her knees and Barret grabbed Red's head.

"Calm down Red! It's me, Barret!" Barret shouted.

Red did not stop. Suddenly a flying kick knocked Red to the ground. Tifa had somehow found her way to the group. Red turned on her and bit her leg savagely. Two shots rang out as Vincent and Cid rushed over to the scene.

"What the hell is going on?" Tifa shouted.

Red seemed to regain his senses.

"Where's spikey?" Barret asked.

"Over here," Cloud called from a few yards away. The group turned to see Cloud holding a small harp. It had sapphires embedded in its silver bow and the strings were made of platinum.

"The Lunar Harp? Where did you find that?" Red asked.

"Pure luck that I stumbled upon it," Cloud said. "When I entered the woods, I was alone. None of you were behind me. I wandered for what seemed like days but I could tell by the light that it hadn't even been two hours. And then I came across a clearing and found this just lying there."

The group marveled at the harp and looked as the mist around them began to fade away.

"I'm not the best harpist in the world," Cloud explained. "But just strumming the strings seems to be enough."

"It's obviously a trap," came a familiar voice.

And from the path behind them walked Cait Sith.

"What the hell?" Tifa exclaimed. "But you died?"

"Didn't I tell you back at Nibelheim. I'm a robot that's bloody impervious to death. I'm Cait Sith 2.0. My OS has been reinstalled in this brand new bot," Cait Sith grinned. "I couldn't stop and let you guys have all the fun now could I?"

The group now stood completely stunned. Two odd occurrences in such a short time seemed to have set them back.

"Come on now, time's a wastin'," Cait Sith explained as he boldly led the charge deeper into the forest.

"Our good luck never seems to run out now does it?" Cid chuckled, patting Barret on the back as he followed the minute companion into the forest.


	37. Chapter 36: Aeris

Chapter 36: Aeris

"Back on duty already?" Reno asked as Tseng walked down the main hallway of the Highwind. He was still using a cane and his head was heavily bandaged, but not nearly as much as his shirtless torso.

"Very amusing," Tseng grunted clutching his stomach with his free hand.

"Why did you come aboard? You should be in the hospital!" Elena gasped.

She moved towards Tseng to help him but he shook his head and shook her off. Elena seemed a bit hurt but stepped aside to let Tseng pass.

"I requested permission to come aboard. This Promised Land is something the Turks will need to scout out," Tseng explained. "Besides which I have a personal hand in this matter."

"Revenge against Sephiroth?" Reno asked.

"Something like that," Tseng said coldly not revealing any more details than were obvious.

Down the hallway in the bridge Rufus and Reeve sat down at a terminal on the lower deck. Reeve was busy typing multiple lines of code into the computer as Rufus watched.

"Commands for the new Cait Sith?" Rufus asked.

"Actually I'm running some calculations for Hojo," Reeve said.

"Why can't Hojo do it?" Rufus asked again, seemingly intent on catching Reeve in a lie.

"He's a scientist but this requires a more technical hand. Plainly put, Hojo is testing Scarlet's theory about the Huge Materia," Reeve said.

"He thinks there might be more to it?"

"Possibly. Or he's wasting my time. Or appeasing Scarlet. I don't really care one way or the other. All I care about is the knowledge. If we could get a decent energy reading off this Huge Materia then we could probably cut back on Mako expenses, maybe even shut down a reactor or two."

"They're that powerful?"

"Scarlet was dead right from what I can tell so far," Reeve sighed. "But she wants to waste this materia on an energy weapon."

"What kind of energy weapon?"

"She doesn't have specifics yet. That's what this test is designed to solve. My personal opinion is that Hojo wants me to find evidence that it's too instable to use in weaponry," Reeve explained.

"So he can use it for his experiments," Rufus grunted. It was not a question. "I think it's time we close down the ghoul factory."

"Could be," Reeve shrugged noncommittally. "I'm just running numbers."

* * *

The Lost Capitol sat at the bottom of a massive cliff on a frozen river. A massive cap of frozen mako created an arch over the city. Small buildings made out of clay and stone sat along column-lined roads covered in sand, presumably for traction.

Against the far mountain wall where the mouth of the river lay there was a large citadel. This, however was obscured by the centerpiece of this place. In the middle of the city was a forest of frozen trees radiating with an eerie mako-induced light.

"This is unbelievable," Red gasped. "Even you humans should be able to feel the energy radiating from this place."

Yuffie and Tifa nodded. Cloud clutched at his heart and Vincent seemed unnerved.

"I can almost hear them," Red continued as he moved forward. "The cries of the planet. Just like Grandfather said."

"Aeris is here somewhere," Cloud said. "We have to find her."

They searched every ruined building. The houses on the left had a strange magical music box which played a haunting melody. This seemed to be nothing more than a toy except that it somehow eased Cloud's pain.

There were more residential buildings on the right side of the town and they yielded similar results. A small mako well, but no sign of Aeris.

"Could this be the Promised Land?" Yuffie asked as they made their way towards the Citadel.

"No. Though it is a remarkable store of Mako. This is what a society looks like that lives with Mako instead of exploiting it," Red explained.

"Yeah, dead and forgotten," Cid grunted. "You're not so good a salesman."

Red scoffed and entered the massive Citadel, which was partly covered by the mountain itself. The marble-laden central room was enormous and breathtaking. A large jagged crystal lay in the center of the room, still shining brilliantly after all these years.

"She's not here," Barret sighed. "We'll we've tried left and right. I guess we go with center next."

The crystal forest had only one clear path and they stuck to it, remembering vividly their recent excursion through the Sleeping Forest. In a large clearing in the center of this forest was the skeleton of a very large dragon and what looked like a conch-shell tipped over on its side.

"We're going in that?" Tifa asked.

"I don't see a better way," Cloud nodded as he entered the room.

It was small and cramped for being such a large building on the outside. However upon closer inspection he saw a rather ornate trapdoor. Opening it with the help of Barret they saw a crystalline spiral staircase.

They began to walk down it and discovered something rather odd. The staircase was only partially complete. Cloud moved down towards the last step and looked straight down. He could see light up ahead, but it looked much too far to try and jump.

Suddenly as Yuffie caught up with the others (she had been lagging behind) the stairs behind Yuffie flew around in the blackness and formed the next part of the stairs in front of Cloud.

"Whoa," Barret gasped. "I've seen long stairs, I've seen lots of stairs and I've seen steep stairs. But this is the first time in my life I've seen _moving_ stairs."

They continued down, the stairs constantly reforming in front of them. When they finally reached the bottom they saw quite clearly the room they were in. It was almost like a city floating in a bubble. There was a large pond and what looked like a castle in miniature.

And at the end of the bailey in the center of this pond was an altar. And sitting in the center of it was the silent, knelt form of Aeris.

"Is she tied up?" Cid asked.

"She's praying," Tifa scoffed.

"Uh, should we disturb her?" Cait Sith asked.

"Aeris!" Cloud shouted.

Aeris did not react in anyway. Cloud moved down the bailey and the others followed. He crossed the central pond by means of a small stone-studded path. Hopping from boulder to boulder he made his way up to the altar, the rest of the group coming along behind, Cait Sith's Mog wading through the water carelessly.

"On the rocks, you numbskull!" Cait Sith cursed.

The top part of the altar was separated by a small flight of stairs. Cloud stood at the bottom and called cautiously. Almost as though he didn't want to approach the place, like he might profane it.

"Aeris!" He called, almost whispering.

Then suddenly, for no reason, he drew his sword.

"Cloud?" Tifa asked.

"What is it? Is it Sephiroth?" Barret asked, raising his gunarm.

An intense heat flowed through his body. He recognized this pain. There was nothing he could do to stop it. It was just like before in the Temple of the Ancients. Cloud walked slowly up the stairs. Every time he tried to fight it the intensity of the flames increased, forcing him back onto the path. He now stood directly in front of Aeris, with no recollection of how he'd gotten there.

He raised his sword high above her head and-

"No!"

Cloud's sword dropped to the ground. He turned and saw Tifa standing on the bottom ledge of the altar. It was her that had called his name. Cloud looked back at Aeris, who still remained serenely in her position of prayer. He looked up to the ceiling and shouted, to nobody in particular:

"What are you making me do?"

Aeris opened her eyes, she looked at Cloud and there was a look of pure, unfathomable joy on her face.

There was a blast of wind, and the sound of something falling. A pair of black boots hit the ground and in an instant a flash of silver and a spurt of crimson. The blade of the Masamune stuck through Aeris's chest. Blood trickled from the wound, though it covered the blade obscenely.

The hated face of Sephiroth stood mere inches behind her, a look of unholy malice on his face, which melted almost instantly into an insane glee. He withdrew the blade. Aeris still had that smile on her face as her body hit the ground.

A small orb, fell from her hair.

_"This is my only piece of materia. My mother gave it to me when I was very little, but I'm afraid it's good for absolutely nothing."_

_"You probably just don't know how to use it."_

_"No, I know how to use it, it just doesn't do anything."_

The orb dropped down the altar stairs, chiming horribly with each hit, finally resting in the water below.

"This can't be real," Cloud shook his head, tears burning behind his eyes.

"Do not worry," Sephiroth said in a tone of mock comfort. "Soon the girl will become part of the Planet's energy. All that is left is to go north. The Promised Land awaits. There I will become a new being by uniting with the planet. As will this girl-"

"Shut up," Cloud said in a voice of cold fury. It was an order. "The cycle of nature and your stupid plan means nothing. Aeris is dead."

Sephiroth grinned and looked down at Aeris as if admiring his handiwork.

"What are you saying you cared for her? What is this nonsense? Do you believe you have feelings too?" Sephiroth asked.

"Of course!" Cloud said, and now he was shouting. "What do you think I am?"

Sephiroth now burst out into cruel laughter. Cloud rushed at him but Sephiroth simply knocked him back casually. He landed only a few feet from Aeris. The other members of AVALANCHE seemed to stunned by these events to do anything, though Barret was making a brave, albeit useless attempt to fire bullets into Sephiroth (they seemed to reach the edge of the altar and then lose all momentum).

"Stop acting, Cloud. You do not need to act as though you are sad. Or angry, for that matter," Sephiroth leaned in close to Cloud and whispered into his ear. "Because you are a puppet."

Sephiroth turned away and suddenly a large black wing shot out of his left shoulder. He soared up into the sky above the altar and disappeared in the light that shone from above.

Aeris's hand closed around Cloud's.

"_Well then, protect me."_

_"And my fee?"_

_"Okay then, I'll give you one date with me."_


	38. Chapter 37: Scarlet

Chapter 37: Scarlet

Aeris's funeral was short and bittersweet. Cloud carried her body out of the strange castle, pondering over the vision he'd had the previous night. What was Aeris planning on doing? What was her plan to stop Sephiroth? And what would they do now that she was gone?

Red pointed out a fountain in the center of the crystal forest where he said the presence of spirits was the strongest. He said it would make a good final resting place for her. Cloud nodded. Somehow setting her beneath the water seemed more appropriate than burying her in the earth.

Cloud held her afloat in the water as everybody said their final goodbyes. Tifa went first, tears running down her cheeks. She held Aeris's hand and whispered something that sounded very much like "I'm sorry" before returning to the land.

Barret went next. Not crying, but with a deeper and more somber expression on his face than Cloud had ever seen. Somehow seeing him in this light made it impossible for him to believe that the two of them had ever been unfriendly. Barret, as Cloud somewhat expected, swore to Aeris that they would stop Sephiroth and avenge her death. It was the hopeful, blood-stirring line that Cloud imagined he had said to AVALANCHE many times.

Red XIII was next. Instead of approaching her in the water, he leapt to the highest point he could find and began to howl loudly.

"Red?" Cid asked, not understanding what he was doing.

"He is closer to her than any of us right now," Vincent said, raising his hand.

After a long, song-like howl, Red returned to the ground.

It was Yuffie's turn next. But she couldn't think of anything to say. She burst out into tears and hugged Aeris for a long while before finally letting go, putting her arm around Red for comfort.

Cait Sith walked up. "You were the only person willing to give me a chance. Thank you." Cait Sith patted her hand and then turned away.

Vincent shook his head when Cloud nodded for him to come up. Cloud understood him perfectly. Vincent bowed low to where Aeris was being held and then turned away from the scene. As much as anybody could be suffering right now, Vincent's pain and Barret's pain- to have failed yet another person that they were entrusted with- was unbearable. Vincent chose distance, and Barret vengeance. Vincent chose to own his failures and Barret chose to seek justice.

Cid was last, but he didn't really know what to say. He had, after all, known Aeris only a short while. He opted for a somewhat nervous promise to her that was similar to Barret's the promise of a swift revenge to man who did this to her.

Cloud went last, although much of what he wanted to say he had already said to her on the way up the stairs. Setting Aeris's materia around her in a circle, Cloud let go of Aeris. She slowly sunk beneath the water.

Cloud waded out of the pond and began walking out of the crystal forest.

"Where are you going?" Tifa asked.

Cloud stopped. "I am going to find Sephiroth. I am going to stop him from reaching the Promised Land. Anybody who wants to is welcome to come along."

Cloud turned and saw a renewed vigor in his allies. It wasn't mindless bloodlust like when they were fighting Shinra. It was righteous indignation. They would not allow Aeris to have died in vain. Nothing else mattered right now.

* * *

"Hey we're over Icicle Inn right now," the pilot called back to Rufus.

"That was quick," Rufus nodded.

"Should I touch-down to refuel?" The pilot asked.

Rufus considered this for a moment. He looked at Reeve who shrugged noncommittally. He then glanced over to Scarlet who nodded.

"Yeah, might as well," Rufus said.

The Highwind set down in the snowy fields just outside of Icicle Inn. As the staff, garbed now in their winter finest (the Turks wearing heavy black trenchcoats), walked out of the airship the first thing they noticed was their ability to see the sea.

"My word. How high up are we?" Scarlet asked.

"Icicle Inn is the highest town in the world," Reeve explained. "The snow plains go for a few miles around it, there are the mountains and Great Glacier to the north, but the rest of it are cliff walls. Walk for about an hour west of here and you'll fall to your death."

"Charming geography lesson," Reno smirked. "We're gonna go grab a few brews and hit the town."

"And keep an eye out for AVALANCHE," Heidegger instructed.

"Should be easy. Around here all you'd have to do is shout," Reno joked as he, Rude and an indignant Elena walked towards the town.

"So, this northern crater. What do we know about it?" Scarlet asked.

"It was formed by some sort of meteor strike several thousand years ago," Hojo explained as he walked around examining the exterior of the Highwind with great interest. "The timing alone places it within interest to anybody who studies the Cetra."

"And why did we never consider this place before?" Scarlet asked.

"We did," Rufus replied. "But as you can tell mounting an expedition here without an airship would require a lot of resources. My father didn't think it worth chasing a fairy tale without solid proof. For my end, I thought we needed the Cetra to figure out the mystery, but we'll have to do without her for now."

"Speaking of the Cetra and resources," Hojo said, turning back to Reeve. "What have you found out?"

Reeve seemed a little annoyed at being put in the spotlight, but responded. "From what I can tell, Scarlet's claims are valid."

Scarlet smirked at Hojo.

"You must have made a mistake," Hojo cursed, ripping the paperwork out of Reeve's hand. "There is no way the power like this can be concentrated on that level. We've seen no other example of this kind of reaction."

"That's because Dr. Gast hid the files from you," Scarlet chuckled. "While I was working on the Gelnika I uncovered a nice little data cache. Apparently Gast knew you were heading down a dark path with your research and didn't want to tempt you further."

Hojo smiled condescendingly. "Well we all know what happened to Gast."

He took the paperwork that she now held out and skimmed over it. "The actual energy readings from the Junon Reactor. And ones from Corel, Nibelheim and Fort Condor. This is unbelievable."

"But it's not being used for your freak show," Scarlet smirked. "This now falls into the hands of the Weapons Development branch."

"You think an idiot like you can handle that much power?" Hojo grinned.

"Enough you two. Hojo, you're only alive because we need you. I want that to be very clear. You are on razor thin ice," Rufus said.

Hojo smirked back defiantly. "Even if Scarlet does have a plan for some Huge Materia superweapon, what's the purpose? We have our only enemies cornered. That materia can be used for a much higher purpose."

Rufus scowled. "I don't like you Hojo. You want to change my opinion of you fast."

And with that, Rufus walked back into the airship. The staff heard him bark at the crew. "Are we ready to go yet?"

"Out of curiosity what kind of weapon did you have in mind for that materia?" Hojo asked.

"Nothing yet. But I'm sure I'll have all the time in the world to figure that out," Scarlet replied, turning around and walking back into the airship.

* * *

The trek through the frozen snowy plains had been unbearable, especially with their hearts heavy over the loss of Aeris. Several miles of bitter cold and howling winds, not to mention knee-high snow; it was amazing they had made it to Icicle Inn by nightfall.

The Inn was full, but the innkeeper mentioned an abandoned house where they might take refuge from the coming blizzard, which they did.

The house didn't look abandoned. Everything was in a nice, neat order. On the night-table near a basement bed was a picture of a woman, a baby girl and a scientist. The woman looked uncannily familiar.

"Is that… Aeris's mother?" Tifa asked.

Red looked at the picture and nodded. "Positive. And that girl is Aeris!"

"You can sense things from pictures too?" Barret asked.

"No, the birthmark on her wrist. It's identical," Red gasped. "This is amazing. How can we be in Aeris's house?"

"This house belonged to Infalna," Vincent explained.

Everybody turned, amazed to see that he knew. Vincent waved his hand and continued explaining. "The man in the picture is Professor Gast. Hojo's predecessor. He was a bit eccentric, but overall he was a fair-minded man. He wanted a chance to study the Cetra in a humane way. He chose to live with Infalna and interview her. We could probably find a record of that interview somewhere in here."

Vincent turned and saw an old video recorder attached to a TV screen. He rewound it a bit and then pressed the play button.

"So what about this Promised Land?" Professor Gast asked.

"The Cetra will feel it rather than see it," Infalna explained. Baby Aeris cooed in the background, but Infalna sounded so much like her. Perhaps a shade deeper given her age. "It is… or perhaps I should say was our journey to find this place."

"And this place is abounding with Mako Energy?"

"Lifestream," Infalna corrected. "The planet loses so much with the Mako Reactors. It cannot absorb that which has been processed and strained. Some waste products are produced naturally. The condensed crystals you call Materia for example. But to be done like this is unnatural. It should stop."

"What will happen if we don't? Will the planet die?" Dr. Gast asked.

"No. The planet has ways of defending itself. It will use them and we- humans- will perish," Infalna explained.

"You are referring to Weapon?"

"The Weapons are the guardians of the planet. Five exist. Four lesser and one Ultimate," Infalna explained.

"And how-"

But suddenly the door was kicked down. Gast turned and shouted. "Hojo! What are you doing here?"

"Get rid of that recording device!" Hojo shouted.

And the video feed died.

"Dr. Gast was killed. Hojo took over. Infalna was captured, but later escaped with a young Aeris. The latter half I know just from talking with Aeris," Vincent explained.

"Unbelievable," Tifa sighed.

"This is a lot to absorb in one night," Cloud nodded. "Everybody, get some sleep. In the morning we're heading north to the northern crater that Sephiroth mentioned."

"Right," Red nodded, setting down. "Sleep will do us all some good."

The howling wind battered the house, and one by one the group fell asleep.


	39. Chapter 38: Glacier

Chapter 38: Glacier

It was a bit of a slow start in the morning. Tifa had condescended to make breakfast for everybody. It felt slightly wrong to be making food in the house where their comrade had once lived, but it had also been the first real meal they'd had in a while.

Red was actually the last person to wake up, odd considering he was usually the first. Cloud chose to let them all sleep in, and they had risen one by one to the smell of bacon and eggs fresh from the local market, which had no problem staying open even in the middle of the blizzard.

"This cold weather is bad for me," Red whined, another unusual thing for him.

"With all that fur I'm surprised," Yuffie said, once again demonstrating a remarkable lack of tact.

"My fur coat is no thicker than your hair, Yuffie," Red replied patiently. "It's designed for desert dwellers, not running about in the snow. And when my fur gets wet, I'm wet. Your winter wear keeps the wet off your skin."

"We could pick you up a poncho at least," Cloud suggested.

"No there's nothing for it," Red sighed. "It comes with being what I am. I will grin and bear it."

"I don't want anybody catching hypothermia on this trip, especially our best magic user," Cloud insisted.

Red sighed. "Wearing human clothes, the final humiliation. Fine, whatever you want."

Cloud didn't bother to ask what had put Red in such a foul mood. Red had always had a slightly anti-human streak even though he clearly cared about his companions.

Halfway through breakfast, Yuffie showed off her new winter appropriate attire. She had chosen a winter jacket that was best described as fashionable, and at worst impractical. The zipper only went part of the way up her neck, there was a fur lining, but the interior lining of the coat was paper thin, and it was a ghastly jewel-tone color ill-adapted for camouflage

"What do you think?" Yuffie smiled.

"Yuffie, we gave you that money to get something practical. How is that gonna keep you warm?" Cloud asked.

"It's thicker than it looks. Besides I got snow-pants and boots. Oh and this cool hat!" And with that Yuffie put on a snowcap which, in a final moment of poor consumerism, didn't even go over her ears.

"You're borrowing my earmuffs," Tifa insisted. "The Northern Limits; the Great Glacier. These are places where the wind chill can cause it to be sometimes 40 degrees below zero, and that's during the day."

Everybody else was wearing a similar arctic jacket, snow-pants and boots. They were grayish white, which made camouflage an option, but also made it possible for them to see each other. Vincent had come up with the idea of glow sticks attached to their backs for low light visibility solutions, a trick from his days as a Turk. Even Red was now draped in a heavy white poncho, which he heartily approved of, and thick white booties, which he was less fond of.

Yuffie sighed. "You guys always inhibit my individuality."

"Typical teen angst," Cloud shot back. "If you want to be really individual wear that coat in the middle of the glacier and you'll be the only frozen member of our party."

Yuffie took off the jacket in a hurry and marched back out the door to the store to buy another jacket, slamming the door in temper.

"Things are getting bad," Cloud sighed.

"Things have always been bad," Barret said calmly. "This journey hasn't exactly been a vacation friend. How long have we been on the run now? Two months… three maybe?"

"Five, since we left Midgar," Tifa sighed. "Has it really been that long?"

"Sure doesn't seem like that," Cloud replied.

"We've had so much going on that time sort of got away from us," Red added, munching on a thick turkey leg that Barret had cooked for him, although he'd made one for himself as well.

Vincent stood in the corner eating a roll.

"Are you sure you don't want anything else? I could make you something if you don't like bacon and eggs," Tifa replied. "I did use to run a restaurant."

Vincent shook his head. "Bread is more practical in this climate," he said, without elaborating.

"You're gonna wish you had a warm meal in your belly when we're out in the cold," Cid insisted, taking a dramatic sip of his coffee. "Thanks for the meal, by the way."

"You're welcome," Tifa replied slightly taken aback.

Cait Sith had, obviously, not bothered with eating anything, but still sat at the table using his Mog as a seat. He wore a small coat. He rationalized it as needing to keep his mechanical joints from icing over, but Cloud suspected Yuffie was involved.

As he thought that, Yuffie returned now wearing the same grayish white arctic coat as the others. "Satisified?"

"Very," Cloud nodded.

Tifa smiled. "You'll be glad you wore that when we're on the mountain, trust me."

"On that note has anybody actually been to the Northern Limits? I heard there's a great glacier that blocks the path," Cid asked.

"Yeah, but there's a thin strip of land that hasn't been overtaken by the glacier that we can use as our passage," Cloud explained. "Vincent you've seen snow conditions before, you know what we're dealing with."

"Modeoheim isn't anything like this. The snow is so densely packed and there's a layer of permafrost that makes the passage treacherous. And then the climb up the side of Gaea Cliff to the Northern Limits will be an almost impossible feat," Vincent explained.

"Aren't you just a ray of sunshine?" Cid scoffed, downing the rest of his coffee.

Cloud locked the door behind them. He didn't know that it would stop anybody else from getting in as they had, but he wanted to do something to mark the spot, protect a living monument to their fallen ally and a place where they had, for a day at least, know some comfort. If they had the time, Cloud would have taken a week to recuperate there, but Sephiroth was almost at his goal and they could not afford to fall behind anymore.

Moving towards the edge of town he noticed that Barret had rented a fleet of snowmobiles. Vincent and Yuffie shared one, Tifa rode side-straddle behind Barret, and Cid and Cait Sith tried to squeeze close to the throttle as Mog took up most of the seat. Red insisted on simply running down the mountain but Cloud noticed there was no room for him on any of these vehicles.

"Planning on leaving me behind?" Cloud asked sarcastically.

"We got you something," Barret grinned pointing at a snowboard that was resting on the ground in front of Red.

"Sorry, they only had three snowmobiles. You know how to snowboard don't you?" Yuffie asked.

"I'm surprised you didn't volunteer," Cloud noted, raising and eyebrow.

"Motion sickness, remember?" Yuffie explained. "They barely convinced me to get on the back of this thing."

"Cloud Strife!" Shouted a shrill woman's voice.

Cloud looked back to see Elena and two soldiers rushing up to him.

"Get going!" Cloud shouted.

And without hesitation the snowmobiles rushed ahead down the massive slope.

"Do you need me to stay?" Red asked.

"I've got this," Cloud said. "You keep an eye on the others."

Red nodded and rushed down after the snowmobiles.

Elena stopped directly in front of Cloud. She raised her finger defiantly but she also seemed out of breath.

"You're gonna freeze if you don't get a jacket on. Don't they give you Turks warmer clothing?" Cloud mocked.

"Shut up! You're going to pay for what you did to Tseng!" Elena shrieked, raising her gun to Cloud's face.

Cloud grabbed the barrel of the pistol and kept it away from his face. Elena tried to regain control of the weapon but Cloud was far too strong.

"I didn't do anything to Tseng. It was Sephiroth," Cloud said.

"You're lying," Elena hissed.

"If it weren't for Aeris he'd be dead now. Don't get me wrong, I was more than willing to let him bleed out. You're lucky she was merciful," Cloud scowled, his temper slowly rising.

"Oh yeah?" Elena snapped. "And where is the heroine now?"

"She's dead. Sephiroth killed her," Cloud said coolly.

Elena seemed to lose her nerve and let go of the pistol.

"You're serious?" Elena asked.

"Do I look like I'm joking to you?" Cloud asked. "Now we're going to try and stop Sephiroth from destroying the planet that Aeris gave her life trying to save."

"Such heroics!" Came Reno's smarmy voice as he appeared from behind a tree. "You know, Cloud, I always had a soft spot for you."

"And whose side are you on today, Reno?" Cloud asked turning Elena's gun on him.

"Mine, same as usual," Reno replied casually. "You've been causing quite enough trouble for Shinra, but your part is over. I mean I do have my orders." Reno lifted his taze-rod and pistol. "Don't make this harder than it has to be. Even if you run, that Glacier has killed the most experienced travelers. You and your party won't last five seconds down there."

"Well that's five seconds more than now," Cloud said as through Elena's gun at Reno and jumped onto the snowboard.

Cloud began to skid down the mountain as bullets from the soldiers and Reno flied at his back. Though he'd gotten away, within moments he was regretting this decision. The slope was unbelievably steep and trees lined the first section. He narrowly avoided slamming headlong into one as his speed began to rise.

He found himself approaching a very noticeable fork in the trail, he noticed to his dismay that snowmobile tracks led off in both directions. He made a blind choice and followed Reds hoof-prints off to the right.

Faster and faster he went sliding down the trail. He went through a large cavern and ahead he heard the echoing sounds of snowmobile engines. After the cave he saw another fork. Red's prints went left, but the snowmobile had gone right.

Again, Cloud trusted Red's animal instinct and moved to the left. He could faintly see the blaze of red fur ahead of him. Suddenly he disappeared in the fog and a loud howl echoed through the slope. Was he injured?

It had dawned on Cloud a moment too late. He found himself flying off a massive ramp and into the air. He landed in the snow banks with a dull thud.

"Just once I would like to arrive in a new location without being knocked out by the impact," Cloud sighed, holding his arms over the fire he had prepared.

"I couldn't see where I was going either, but at least we are alive," Red nodded.

"Until night sets in and we freeze to death," Cloud sighed. "What about the others?"

"We all thought it best to split up. Lose the pursuers. Oh!" Red glanced behind Cloud's shoulder where the silhouettes of Barret and Tifa were appearing out of the fog.

"Are you guys okay?" Cloud called.

"As good as we can hope to be considering we damn near died," Barret groaned.

"The others are fine too. Vincent and Yuffie found an old man who lives near Gaea Cliff. Cid and Cait Sith were waiting with him. They just sent us to try and collect you two," Tifa explained.

"You couldn't have called?" Cloud asked, but upon looking at his PHS he realized that in the mountains there was no signal.

"Well at least we're all in one piece," Barret nodded. "Now let's go get warmed up before your spiky ass hair turns into icicles."


	40. Chapter 39: Gaea Cliff

Chapter 39: Gaea Cliff

"You're lucky to get in before dark," the old man said, carefully moving a large pot of soup from the fireplace to the large table in his dining room.

This man had a surprisingly large house for somebody who lived alone. He explained that the house was built by a team of explorers, which he was a part of. To this day there were still people who got lost in the glacier that he helped.

"I do rounds of the glacier every day a few hours before sunset, just to make sure," he continued. "Never seen quite so many of you at one time though."

"We're sorry to be a burden," Tifa nodded.

"Nah, no burden!" The man smiled. "It's good to have company. So I suppose you're not just on this sheet of ice to look at the glacier are you?"

Cloud shook his head. "We're trying to head up Gaea Cliff into the Northern Limits."

The old man sighed. "Yeah, I figured as much. You kids are always so damn reckless."

"That's what I said," Cid chuckled. "But they're as stubborn as they are crazy so no point in trying to tell them otherwise."

The old man turned towards the window. By now it was too dark to see the looming mountain, but he still could make out its silhouette against the sky.

"I'm not going to try and stop you. But I am going to tell you the story I've told every idiot that ever went up that mountain," he explained.

Cloud could not tell if the man's unyielding stare at the rock was for dramatic effect or not, but either way it was effective.

"I was on the expedition team that first explored that mountain. There were six of us. The glacier itself is cold, but on Gaea Cliff its unnatural. It's like the dark side of the moon, with howling winds that pierce through everything you could possibly put on to protect yourself."

The old man moved towards the fire again, as if the chill was consuming him once more.

"With the trails now, you can scale the mountain in a day, but we had nothing to go by. It took us three. And by the second day we had run out of room to maneuver. There's a narrow passage about halfway up the mountain that leads into a cave. We followed that path for about eight hours before we realized we'd been moving in circles."

He took a sip of soup and then continued.

"It's more than just the cold too. The darkness plays tricks on your eyes. And then your mind. By the third day the other four had given up. Two of them made it back down the mountain. One of them got lost in the caves and was never seen again. A massive fog rolled in about midday and when it settled, one was missing. "

The man rubbed his face as if trying to shield himself from the memories.

"Jules said he fell. That was all. Bad fog and he'd taken a false step. But I'm telling you, he didn't fall."

He looked up staring right into Tifa's eyes.

"The mountain _took _him."

Barret muttered something skeptical and Cid rolled his eyes. Red seemed curious about the man, but not quite sure what to make of him. Yuffie was terrified.

"Took him?" Cloud asked.

"The mountain's alive. They say everything takes on a life of its own, you know? I don't suppose you kids have heard of the Lifestream?"

The group looked at each other and nodded.

"It's not so different from the Sleeping Forest then," Red suggested.

"Worse," The man explained. "Do you know what's at the top of Gaea Cliff?"

"The Northern Limits," Cid replied.

"Aye, but what exactly is it?" The man asked.

"A crater of some kind I thought," Vincent offered.

The man ignored this and continued. "By the night of the third day Jules and I were almost at the top. A vicious wind, worse than any we'd experienced kept blowing our line as we attempted to scale it. I was at the top of the rope and Jules right behind me.

"We made slow movements towards the top step by step. Trying to compensate for the lack of vision we were stabbing our ice picks indiscriminately trying to get to the top. I heard a loud crack below me and looked down.

"Jules had cut through his rope. The ice pick was the only thing keeping him from falling. And then… I can't explain what happened next. I thought at the time he'd just grown too tired or perhaps had slipped. But he let go…"

The man gasped. "There was a terrible sound. Jules was laughing the entire way down the mountain. And the sound carried through the cool night air to where I was. And then I heard it. The voice of the mountain. Telling me to give up. Telling me to just end it all. Horrible, horrible things. A private hell; and the only way I would leave this mountain would be through the release of death. I pushed past that horrible voice. It was a shrill, woman's voice, laughing at my pain and misery. Feeding off it."

Again the group looked amongst each other. They had dealt with that before.

"JENOVA," Cloud said.

The man didn't seem to hear him. "I finally reached the top. And when I saw that there was no summit, only a massive crater, I thought I would end the journey there. The climb to the top had been for naught. But as I was prepared to head back down. I heard the voice louder than ever.

"Down in the crater I saw a massive swirling mist of green light. The whole mountain seemed to quake with its fury. I don't know how I ended up back at the bottom of the mountain. I had fallen, or so it seemed. I lay in the snow next to the body of Jules.

"To this day, the other two explorers who survived said that both our lines had broken and we had fallen together. That I managed to survive an impossible fall because my safety line had caught on a rock at the last moment, softening my impact. That the voice I heard and the vision I saw was nothing more than a horrible nightmare.

"But I know that it was real. That mountain does not want to be climbed. And there's something in that crater far worse than anything I could possibly imagine," The man again began to rub his eyes. "Sleep here. Enjoy your dinner. But please turn back tomorrow."

The next morning arrived with a much quieter scene than the previous one. There was no home-cooked breakfast, except a pot of noodle soup that the old man had prepared for them before making his rounds on the glacier. The party was much quieter too; the grim tale the old man had told them still fresh in their minds due to the nightmares that had haunted their sleep.

"Should we wait for him to get back?" Tifa asked.

"A round trip of the glacier takes about three hours. We can't afford to lose the daylight," Vincent said.

The first stretch of the mountain seemed simple. Howling winds and low temperatures were dragons that the party had already slayed in making it this far. They reached the first cavern system without anything unexpected.

"That's weird. It's actually warmer in the caves," Yuffie said, flashing her lantern around.

"No it isn't. It's just that the wind isn't blowing," Cloud explained.

"Indeed, and I bet monsters will have found this a lovely place to take shelter from the storm so be on your guard," Red warned.

"You sense anything?" Cloud asked.

Red shook his head. "Not yet. But in the deep places of the world monsters learn stealth. They could be beyond my ability to predict."

With those ominous words the group stealthily wove their way through the cavern paths, following the markers left by Jules's party. The darkness broke sooner than they had anticipated and they were once again outside on the cliff.

"Look at that first stretch already cleared. In only four hours," Yuffie smiled. "We got this!"

"Don't get cocky. We haven't reached the places where his party ran into trouble." Cloud replied.

The second cavern systems was where the troubles truly began. Markers littered the various paths, and they were so hastily scrawled that nobody could make out which path led where.

"Five different chambers," Red observed. "But some have been marked twice; their initial markings scratched out. This would make sense. The old man said they had been traveling in circles at this point."

"You think they might have marked which one was the correct one," Cait Sith shrugged.

"I doubt they had time. Remember they had limited supplies and were growing increasingly more desperate with each pass," Red replied.

"What does your gut say?" Cid asked.

"My _instinct _says we should follow one of the paths with only one marking," Red explained.

"Why's that?" Tifa asked.

"Think about it. They were going in circles. They marked twice the paths they'd already tried. Logically they would not have doubled-back using one of the paths that was only marked once," Red explained. He then frowned. "Unless of course the paths split further down, in which case one of the double-marked paths would be the appropriate choice."

"We've got our PHS. We could split up," Tifa suggested.

"We won't get a signal out here," Barret shook his head. "Come on Red, don't use your brain, use your animal sense… thingy."

Red groaned. "It's not that simple. This terrain is completely unfamiliar to me. "

"You've never been wrong in the past," Tifa said encouragingly.

Red sighed. He closely observed the two paths with twin markings on them. He stood in front of the left path and let out a deep howl. The howl reverberated through the cavern and seemed to come from all sides.

"Well that'll have every monster in this cave coming after us!" Cid cursed.

"Maybe so, but I found the path. It's this way," Red explained.

"How did-?" But Yuffie was cut off.

"Sonar. Like a bat. You're just full of surprises," Vincent nodded.

They followed Red through the dark cave, who would stop at every fork to howl. They arrived at the cliff again. They stopped to take a look at the glacier which now seemed a thousand miles away from them. In the distance they could even see the lights of Icicle Inn slowly coming on as the sun began to set.

"There is one last cavern stretch and then a short sprint to the top of the mountain," Cloud explained. "We can make it into the crater by nightfall if we hurry."

The final cavern was not like the ones that had preceded it. The wind still, somehow, howled deep within it. Red's tail was raised high as he moved slowly forward. He stopped in front of a long icy path and growled.

"Red?" Cloud asked. "What's up?"

"There is something here," Red said.

A loud cackle burst out through the cave. In a voice shriller than the biting wind, words formed in the air around them.

"More victims of my wrath, come to my nest so willingly," The voice shrieked.

In the icy path of the cavern appeared a woman, her body formed from shards of ice.

"Who are you?" Cloud demanded, raising his sword.

"I am the mountain and the glacier, the wind and the sky, the ice and the snow. I am all that commands this sacred place where human foots were not meant to dwell," the being said.

"We have to continue into the crater. You're not going to stop us," Tifa shouted.

"The crater," the being said, lowering her voice. "Is not of my creation. It is a scar on my land."

"Then you should have no problem with us heading there," Cid smirked.

The being shook her head. "I do not let anyone scale my summit. The old man was the first and last human to have that glory. He proved himself champion of my mountain and so I permit him to abide within my shadow. But I do not sense that greatness in any of you."

"Well then look harder, lady!" Yuffie shouted.

The being smirked and let out a roar similar to that of a dragon. "Very well. If you wish to challenge me, I shall accept!"

The being transformed in front of their eyes. Her head split into two identical dragons head and her body grew in size until a fully formed, twin-headed dragon stood before them. Out of the left head blew a great blast of flame and out of the right a lethal blast of cold air.

"Now, humans. Show me what might you believe yourselves to possess!" The being shouted.

Barret was the first to open fire. His bullets didn't even put a dent in the dragon's armor.

"Damn it!" He cursed.

"Barret!" Vincent shouted. "I've an idea."

Cloud rushed at the fire-breathing head with his sword. The left head caught the blade with its steely teeth and flung cloud over top of him. It flung the Buster Sword into the ice sheet beside it.

Cait Sith's Mog rushed forward delivering a mechanical punch into the dragon's torso, but even the robot dealt no significant blow to the creature.

"Red we're useless up here! We need magic!" Cloud shouted jumping over the dragon in an attempt to grab his sword.

Red nodded. The familiar green light surrounded him and a massive blaze of ice hit the left head. It remained frozen for a few moments as Cloud retrieved his weapon. He rolled out of the way as the right-head blasted shards of ice at him.

Yuffie flung her shuriken as hard as she could, but it only managed to shatter the icy prison that had been holding the fire-breathing head at bay.

"Give us some room!" Barret shouted.

The other membes of the party dropped at once as Barret and Vincent let off a hailstorm of bullets. The bullets all glowed bright red as they pierced through the ice-breathing dragon's head. The dragon's head let out a ghastly wail and slumped forward useless on the body.

"What were those?" Tifa asked.

"Shinra Incendiary Rounds," Vincent explained. "I kept a few rounds on me."

"Well that's great but we still got him to worry about!" Cait Sith said shouting and pointing at the fire-breathing head.

The dragon rushed forward, enraged by its twin's death. Cid slid underneath the dragon and thrust his spear upwards into the stomach of the monster. He arrived on the other side of the beast without his weapon.

The dragon seemed to be in pain, but that did not stop it's violent charge. Tifa was directly in the monsters path. Without a moment's hesitation she leapt back against the cavern wall and grabbed the neck of the dragon. The dragon thrashed violently trying to get her off.

"You got any ice-rounds?" Yuffie asked.

"Don't be stupid," Barret cursed. "Red, this is your show."

Red wracked his brain for any possible solution. Then it hit him. He recalled a piece of materia that they'd been given by a child back in Junon many months ago.

"Tifa! Get off of him!" Red shouted.

Tifa complied immediately slamming the monsters head down as she kicked off and landed beside Cloud.

The dragon raised his head and prepared a deadly blast of fire, but Red's spell hit the dragon first. A silvery white goddess appeared before the group.

"You possess Shiva?" The dragon shouted.

But it was the last thing that ever came out of the mouth of the being. It was covered in a thick sheet of ice, remaining frozen against the side of the wall. The goddess turned to Red whispered something in his ear and then disappeared from sight.

"What did she say?" Tifa asked.

"Shiva used to be the guardian of this place. The Northern Limits was her domain. When the crater hit, she was banished from this land and a dark usurper took her place. She was too weak to return to her rightful stance on her own. But we have returned her to her rightful place."

The winds stopped howling and moonlight shone through an opening at the back of the cave.

"Come on. Let's go," Cloud said, taking his first cautious steps towards the crater.


	41. Chapter 40: Promised Land

Chapter 40: Promised Land

As frigid as the cliff had been it was nothing to the chill that ran through Cloud as he gazed upon the crater. An enormous cavity in the very earth, roughly the size of five Midgars, scarred the snowy mountain range. And at the center was a somewhat familiar green glow, forming in a large spiral around a central rocky complex.

"The Lifestream," Tifa said. "It's gathering here…"

And suddenly, flashes of memory came pouring into Cloud as though they had been forced there by his subconscious.

_"Oh, but Jenova will be at the Reunion. She will join… a calamity from the skies."_

"A calamity from the skies…" Cloud said.

_"Ah, but I have. I'm far superior to the Ancients. I became a traveler of the Lifestream and gained the knowledge and wisdom of the Ancients. And soon, I will create the future."_

"This… this is what he meant," Cloud sunk to the ground, sweat falling in beads from his hair.

_"It's simple. Once the Planet is hurt, it gathers Spirit Energy to heal the injury…What would happen if there was an injury that threatened the very life of the Planet? Think how much energy would be gathered! Ha ha ha. And at the center of that injury, will be me. All that boundless energy will be mine. By merging with all the energy of the Planet, I will become a new life form, a new existence. Melding with the Planet... I will cease to exist as I am now... Only to be reborn as a God to rule over every soul."_

Barret and Tifa bent down beside Cloud.

"Yo, spikey!" Barret shouted. "Snap out of it!"

Cloud shook his head and slowly got to his feet. "This is it. This is the Promised Land."

Red glanced at Cloud and then looked back towards the spiraling mass of Lifestream. He gave Cloud an almost appraising look as he said. "Then you know what Sephiroth intends to do."

"He's going to summon Meteor, have it destroy this planet and take all of its essence for his own," Vincent said. "How he intends to do that I can't say."'

"Well let's keep talking about it, by all means," Cid shouted. "Sephiroth has the Black Materia and has found the Promised Land so god damn it all let's have some tea!"

"Good point, old man," Yuffie nodded. "Let's get going. We'll kick his butt and end this already."

"Beating Sephiroth will be nearly impossible," Cloud sighed. "But we have to try."

They set down the mountain, nearly tumbling over themselves as they navigated the jagged rocks and barely visible ice patches. Yuffie tumbled over herself more than once. The only person who didn't appear to be having any difficulty was Red, who was more used to rocky terrain than the others.

"Hey!" Cait Sith shouted, suddenly. "Look over there!"

Cait Sith was pointing up towards the sky where a large and familiar looking airship was soaring overhead. Cid clenched his fists and bellowed in outrage.

"Cid?" Yuffie asked.

"It's the Highwind!" Cid replied. "That's my lady luck."

"And I bet I know whose flying it," Cloud cursed.

Rufus looked down on the crater from the bridge of the Highwind. There was something like disdain in his expression.

"We've spent almost a year searching for this?" Rufus sighed.

"The Mako Energy readings are amazing though!" Scarlet cried excitedly. "There's a large crystal formation in the center. Is there anyway we can set down there?"

"This is it. The Promised Land that the President was searching for." Heidegger marveled.

"Looks like I was the one to actually find it though," Rufus sneered. "Sorry old man."

"I'd like to set down too. What a brilliant opportunity to test not only one but several of my hypotheses," Hojo interjected.

Scarlet tensed up and she scowled. "You should just be lucky that we let you come at all after you deserted us."

Rufus slammed his fist against the side of the ship. "Enough bitching. Since our Turks aren't here to protect us we need to show a little more common sense. We'll set down near the formation and all go in together. It's time to claim this land for the Shinra Corporation."

"This land belongs to nobody," Hojo said flatly, walking towards the door. "This is just where the Reunion will take place. I wonder if we'll see Sephiroth?"

"They're heading right into the center," Cait Sith quaked.

"We'd better hurry," Cloud said, running along the stony path towards the center of the crater.

"First Sephiroth now Shinra. This day just keeps getting better and better," Barret cursed.

A long and narrow series of rocky ledges lay before the group, moving slowly towards the center. The howling winds seemed to have a much shriller sound the closer they got to the center.

"It's the cry of the planet," Red said, as if reading Cloud's mind. "Aeris and I heard it back in Cosmo Canyon, but with the Lifestream so present as it is now, you can hear it too."

Cloud stopped in his tracks. At the edge of the cliff were two men in Black Capes. Just as Cloud noticed them, a flash of silver cut across both of them, and they fell, revealing the crouching form of Sephiroth.

"Sephiroth!" Cloud shouted.

The others rushed up the side of the passage, raising their weapons.

"This is the end!" Tifa cried.

"You're right," Sephiroth smirked. "This is the end of this body's usefulness."

And in a flash of greenish-blue light Sephiroth's body melted away, leaving not so much as a shred of his cloak in his wake.

"He," Cid rubbed his eyes. "He disappeared?"

"Careful. He might reappear," Cloud said, not lowering his sword.

"_Our mission is to return the Black Materia to our master," _came a voice from the shrill wind.

"Master?" Yuffie asked.

"_Of course. To Sephiroth. Return the Black Materia to Sephiroth. Those of us joined by JENOVA have one purpose."_

The puddle of green liquid that had been Sephiroth's remains reformed into the massive, twisted body of JENOVA yet again.

"Damn it! We don't have time for this!" Cloud shouted.

JENOVA released a wave of fire from its mouth that engulfed the entire group in flames. Cait Sith ran backwards and fell over an embankment. Yuffie seemed to get the worst of the blast and fell to the ground sobbing in agony. Vincent lifted her up and wrapped his cloak around the two of them.

One of the green material orbs in Red's bracer glowed as he summoned massive shards of ice to strike through JENOVA, with practically no effect.

"This version is more resilient against magic," Red cursed.

"It has all the power of the Lifestream at its disposal," Tifa cried. "Our materia is useless."

"Then we'll have to improvise," Vincent said, setting down Yuffie. Vincent jumped over the edge of the cliff into the large pool of Lifestream beneath them.

"Vincent!" Barret shouted. "What the hell did he do that for?"

"I think I know what he's trying. Let's buy him some time," Cloud replied rushing to meet JENOVA with his blade. He smashed through her torso with all his might but the blade only stuck in the side and was blasted back out with a single smash of the creatures deformed claw.

Barret opened fire letting every bullet in his gunarm hit the target before bothering to reload. Unfortunately each shot was about as useful as Cloud's sword. Cid valiantly tried to stab his lance through JENOVA, but there was again, practically no result. JENOVA picked Cid up and threw him against a large boulder, knocking him out.

"Cid!" Cait Sith shouted. "We're getting picked off one by one!"

A loud roar echoed through the pass, but it had not come from JENOVA. A huge monster carrying a massive electric coil leapt onto the rocky pass in front of JENOVA.

"Another one!" Barret cursed, raising his gunarm.

"Don't shoot!" Cloud said, holding his sword in front of Barret.

"Why the hell not?" Barret cried.

"Barret!" Tifa shouted. "I think that's Vincent!"

The mutated Vincent sized up JENOVA and with a large jab of the electric coil sent a current rushing through the beast. JENOVA pushed back with its claw but only managed to grab the other end of the coil. Now the entire current was running through both the monsters, only Vincent did not seem to be affected by it. In fact the faster the current flowed, the stronger Vincent seemed to grow.

Vincent then dropped the coil of his own conviction and lifted JENOVA up above his head slamming it down on the ground, breaking the mass of flesh and sinew into two distinct pieces, both of which slowly faded into nothingness.

Vincent returned to his usual form and lay down on the ground, exhausted.

"That was amazing," Tifa smiled.

"It takes its toll," Vincent sighed, laying back against the rock.

"We're in rough shape over here Cloud," Cait Sith said.

Cloud looked over his comrades. Yuffie was covered in burns, as was Cid who was still laying unconscious against the rock. Vincent was clearly too exhausted to even move.

"You guys need to stay here and rest up," Cloud said. "But I can't stop now."

Suddenly a small black orb rolled next to Cloud. He picked it up.

"The Black Materia?" Tifa asked.

"JENOVA must have had it," Cloud said. "But we're not done yet. We still have to finish Sephiroth."

"But how can we-?" But Cait Sith was cut off.

"Tifa and Red come with me. Barret, Cait Sith, I need you two to guard these three until they've recovered," Cloud said, walking over to Barret. He raised his hand, handing him the Black Materia. "And I need you to watch this."

Barret nodded. "I won't let it leave my sight."

Cloud turned and walked towards the center, where the large crystal formation lay. Tifa and Red slowly walked behind him.


	42. Chapter 41: Failure

Chapter 41: Failure

In the center of the swirling mist of Lifestream was a small rocky crevice, beneath which lay an enormous crystal. A small cavity in the Crystal revealed a room within. The blue-green mists running through his hair, Sephiroth stood at the gateway to this room, looking at Cloud and Tifa with an unnervingly welcome look. It was as though he were throwing a party and Cloud and Tifa were the guests of honor.

"Tifa, and the failure. Wonderful that you both could make it here in time for the Reunion," Sephiroth smiled.

Cloud raised his sword. "There isn't going to be any Reunion."

"But, failure, your arrival makes my Reunion complete. That is, if you still have any of JENOVA's cells still left within you. I think you must for how easily I was able to control you back at the Temple of the Ancients," Sephiroth said.

Cloud rushed through Sephiroth, but his sword pierced nothing but the rock behind him. Sephiroth had dodged Cloud without even making an effort of it. He turned to Cloud with an appraising look.

"You're still fairly weak, but I will accept any addition to my strength. Even that of a failure like you," Sephiroth shrugged.

"I have a name!" Cloud shouted.

"Oh, I see," Sephiroth turned to Tifa. "So you haven't told him yet have you?"

Tifa flushed. "What are you talking about!"

"He's just trying to confuse me," Cloud said, lifting his sword out of the rock. "It won't work."

"Am I?" Sephiroth asked. "Why don't you tell me then? What made you give the Black Materia to me?"

"I don't know why I did that!" Cloud shouted. "It doesn't matter. It won't happen again!"

"You never answered my question from before. Where was she five years ago… or I guess on recollection it was actually seven wasn't it?" Sephiroth asked, his face smug as though Tifa and he were sharing a delightful inside joke. Tifa looked mortified.

"You're the voice I dreamt about. Back in Junon," Cloud grunted, rubbing his head as thought trying to purge the memories.

"There is so much you don't understand. I haven't much time, but I'll fill you in as best as I possibly can," Sephiroth said.

The crystal wall shimmered and the pale blue-green became a reflection of the gate to Nibelheim. Sephiroth's image walked up to the gate, followed by two Shinra soldiers. A fourth body walked up, but it was not Cloud. It was a man in a SOLDIER uniform, like Cloud, with spikey hair, like Cloud. Except his hair was jet black.

"So what? Are you trying to say I was never at Nibelheim five years ago?" Cloud asked.

"Now we're getting somewhere," Sephiroth said.

Tifa looked on the verge of tears and even had to turn away.

"Tifa it's alright, this doesn't scare me. He's just trying to fool me," Cloud replied, although he couldn't shake a feeling from deep inside him.

Memories ran through him now. He thought about those days harder than he'd ever focused on anything. Where was Tifa? What happened in his battle with Sephiroth? Why couldn't he remember how he'd gotten to Midgar?

But now, more troubling questions came to mind. Now he thought on it, he couldn't recall any of his SOLDIER training. He had clear vivid recollection of his Shinra Army basic training. His first time wearing the uniform. But nothing of his promotion. Nothing of the first time he put on that uniform that he was wearing right now.

"No," Cloud shrugged. "This is insane. I just can't remember because I'm trying too hard."

"You were immersed in Mako when you were created, Cloud. You're no different than those monsters that Hojo created… in fact you _are _one of those monsters that Hojo created."

"I remember the heat on my body. I remember my anger and hatred of you. I remember Tifa and the well."

"You were bound to have some residual memories. Perhaps, somewhere in there were the memories of a boy named Cloud."

"Enough!" Cloud shouted. "This is senseless! I know who I am and nothing you can say will change that!"

"But I just want to take you back to your real self. The one who gave the Black Materia to me that day! Who would have thought a failed experiment would prove so useful. Oh, Hojo would just die if he knew!" Sephiroth smiled. "Tifa. You've carried that photo with you right?"

"What are you talking about?" Tifa asked.

"You were planning on telling him, so you carried the photo with you. You just wanted to make sure he stopped me first, rather selfish of you," Sephiroth laughed. "But I suppose the truth would be too painful. Allow me."

Sephiroth waved his hand and a picture flew out of the back pocket of Tifa's shorts. It was crumpled and dog-earred, but it was still intact.

"Would you like to see it Cloud? It's a nice picture," Sephiroth smirked.

Cloud walked over to Sephiroth and slowly took the picture in his hand. Standing in the picture was Sephiroth, Tifa and a man with spikey, black hair.

Cloud dropped the picture and fell to the rocks. He shook his head, but this could not undo what he had just seen. He wasn't there five years ago. He wasn't in Nibelheim. Was he even really Cloud? Did he even truly exist?

The Highwind soared overhead landing just within the large crystal barricade.

"Oh?" Sephiroth quipped. "More guests. I wasn't expecting you to have quite so many friends."

But Cloud didn't have the energy to retort. He looked over at the rocky ledges and saw Barret running towards him.

"Tifa!" Barret shouted. "I came running just like you said!"

"Barret!" Tifa called back. "No! Get away!"

But it was over in minutes. The Black Materia flew out of Barret's hands and into Clouds. Sephiroth was now gone. Cloud stood up.

"Thank you Barret," Cloud said, in a dead voice that was not his own.

"Spikey!" Barret shouted. "Where are you going with that?"

"I know what I'm doing," Cloud said, walking into the center of the crystal ruins.

Within the ruins stood Hojo, Scarlet and Rufus who were already appraising the value of the enormous structure. The walls of the crystal shrine held shards of non-compressed, pure materia, which shimmered in the weak light of the Lifestream. A large materia shard hung above them nestled in a cocoon of sorts.

"The outside is covered with Mako and the inside a treasure trove of materia! This truly is the Promised Land!" Scarlet cried in delight.

"Hojo," Cloud said weakly, keeping his eyes on the cocoon.

Hojo, Scarlet and Rufus turned around swiftly, startled by Cloud's sudden appearance.

"AVALANCHE? Here?" Scarlet cried in indigination.

"Quiet Scarlet," Hojo hissed. He bent down to Cloud as though he were a child. "What is it?"

"Give me a number," Cloud begged, he was on his knees now. "I made it here just please, give me a number."

Hojo laughed derisively, but there was fury in his eyes. "Are you kidding me? The only person to survive to the Reunion is a failure? You don't even have a number?"

"Stop calling Cloud a failure!" Tifa shouted.

"His name isn't Cloud," Hojo yelled back. "As you know, or should know by now. He was perfected by my design just like all the others!"

Cloud was on the verge of weeping, his eyes completely void of any emotion but despair. "Please. Give me a number. Give me an existence. Give me anything."

"Get away you miserable failure!" Hojo shouted.

Cloud shook his head and stood up. "This is where the Reunion will take place. Where everything begins and ends."

"What are you saying Cloud?" Tifa asked, now openly sobbing.

"You have better leave here. Leave the rest to me," Cloud said to Rufus.

"Leave it to you?" Rufus asked, rubbing his jaw. "What are you saying?"

There was a loud bellow from behind the walls of materia. A shard cracked open revealing an eye looking at them.

"What the hell is that?" Scarlet shouted, taking cover behind Rufus.

"WEAPON," Hojo said in amazement. "I didn't believe in them. Monsters created to defend the planet. So… they do exist after all."

"You still have time to leave here," Cloud said. "Before it gets too late. I'm sorry for everything everybody." Cloud turned back to Rufus and Scarlet. "Sorry." He then turned to Barret and Tifa. "I'm so sorry. Especially to you Tifa. You've been so good to me."

Cloud began to float up towards the cocoon. "Now leave. Leave right now!"

He landed on top of the materia shard within the cocoon and began to feel around with the Black Materia.

"Who… was that?" Rufus asked.

Hojo moved towards the center of the room. "He's a Sephiroth clone I created after the real Sephiroth died five years ago. Jenova cells and Mako, with my knowledge and skills, have been combined with science and nature to bring him to life. ...I'm not wild about the failure part, but the Jenova Reunion Theory has now been proven. You see, even if Jenova's body is dismembered, it will eventually become one again. That's what is meant by Jenova's Reunion to start."

Hojo paced around the room.

"Five years have passed, and now the Clones have began to return. I thought the Clones would begin to gather at Midgar where Jenova is stored. But my predictions were not entirely correct. Jenova itself began to move away from the Shinra Building. But being a genius that I am, I soon figured it out. You see it was all Sephiroth's doing. Sephiroth is not just content to diffuse his will into the Lifestream; he wants to manipulate the Clones themselves."

Cloud nodded from on top of the shard. "Yes… that's how it started for me."

"I didn't know where they were going, but all I knew was that Sephiroth was at the end of their journey," Hojo said.

"I wasn't chasing Sephiroth," Cloud cursed. "I was being summoned by him. Where are you Sephiroth?"

Cloud's hand holding the Black Materia finally pierced the materia shard. He looked up into the face of Sephiroth, whose body was fully encased within it. He looked as though he were asleep, but his closed eyes seemed to twitch, as though he were having a dream. The Black Materia floated towards him and within moments the crystal ruins began to sink deep into the earth.

"Everyone on the Highwind now!" Rufus shouted, grabbing Scarlet's arm.

"Even them?" Scarlet hissed looking at Tifa.

"Yes, just bring them!" Rufus shouted. "No time to think about that now!"

Tifa, Barret, Rufus, Hojo and Scarlet climbed up a rope to the deck of the Highwind just as the structure collapsed.

"Wait! We have more at the ledges!" Tifa shouted.

"I see them!" Rufus shouted. "Pilot, come about! Get the rest of them!"

Barret looked at Rufus with an expression of intense fury. Tifa could tell that he so wanted to hate the man, but could not help respect the fact that he was risking his own life to save his enemies.

The others climbed aboard the Highwind as the pulse of energy from the center of the crater began to swell.

"Great. Get rescued from certain death to become prisoners," Yuffie cursed.

"You're welcome," Rufus hissed.

"What damn fool you have piloting my ship?" Cid shouted. "He's not pushing her fast enough."

"If you have a problem, Cid, you're free to take it up with the brig," Rufus replied. "Pilot, get us the hell out of here!"

As the final explosion of energy shook the crater five massive beasts flew out of the center. They all soared off in different directions before anybody could get a good look at them. Tifa looked back at the explosion of energy and fell to the ground.

"Cloud…"


	43. Chapter 42: Highwind

Chapter 42: Highwind

Tifa's head was swimming with memories. She was walking down the streets of Midgar, near the Sector 7 slums. She saw a young man in a SOLDIER uniform leaning back against the platform wall. His spiky yellow hair and deep blue-green eyes gave him away.

"Cloud?" Tifa asked. "Is that you?"

Cloud stood up and nodded. "Tifa."

Tifa smiled and rushed up to hug him. "Cloud, it's been so long!"

Cloud held her for a moment but then broke off the embrace. He nodded. "Yes. It's been five years, hasn't it?"

_It was actually seven,_ she thought. But she didn't care. Why didn't she wonder then what had happened to him? Maybe she was just so happy to see him that she figured she would deal with it later. Or maybe she didn't really want to know.

"So why didn't you ask him? Then?" Came a rough voice. Tifa rubbed her eyes and slowly started to wake.

She wasn't in the streets of Midgar. She was laying on a cot in a cell. She must have been speaking in her sleep. She looked over and saw Barret leaning against the wall, listening to her.

"Because, I was afraid," Tifa sighed. "Afraid of what he might say. Or what he might remember."

"Tifa I know doesn't get afraid of things," he said.

Tifa sat up and looked around the room. "Where are we?"

"Junon," Barret nodded. He took the initiative. "And yes, everybody else got out okay, thanks to the Highwind. Well… except him."

Tifa hung her head. She hadn't expected Cloud to be with them. To avoid the moment where she would have to confront her grief, she asked. "What about Meteor?"

Barret moved over to the windows, which had been covered with blinds. He pressed a switch and they opened. It was early morning and the sun was creeping over the mountains to the east. But shining over the brightness of the sun was a massive orange and red stone that hung in the air. It was four times larger than the appearance of the sun.

"My god," Tifa gasped, looking at it.

"Yep. And it's only about as far away as the moon. It's moving pretty slow though. Maybe it needs time to charge or maybe Sephiroth just likes seeing people scared out of their wits. Either way, scientists figure we got about two weeks before the thing crashes into us," Barret shivered.

"And what is Shinra doing?" Tifa asked. "Are we working together?"

Barret let out a cold laugh. "Yeah, that'll be the day. I'm not certain. He's certainly treating us like prisoners. Although I have to give the guy credit, he did risk his neck to save our butts. Without him we would have all been goners. Maybe this situation helped him get his priorities straight."

Barret turned back to Tifa. Tifa folded her arms.

"I don't know why I know this, but I know that we need Cloud to help us. If we can get Cloud back, we can find a way to stop that thing," she said.

"If that's possible," Barret said. "I don't mean to make you worry, Tifa, but I really don't see how Cloud could have survived."

Tifa began to quake. But she couldn't break down now. She had to focus and deal with her emotions later. "Well we'll just have to see won't we?" She said, a bit shakily.

The door opened and Rufus walked in escorted by two armed guards and Palmer.

"Good, you're up," Rufus said.

Barret turned to Rufus. "What do you want?"

"Listen we've no time for idle chat. Did Aeris mention anything about Meteor or how to stop it?" Rufus demanded.

"Aeris is dead," Tifa said.

"I know," Rufus said. "I'm actually quite sorry."

"Sorry because you can't exploit her anymore," Barret hissed.

"No, sorry because she may very well have held the key to saving us. I'll ask again, did she mention anything about how to stop Meteor?" Rufus demanded.

Tifa looked back at the giant body and then turned to Rufus. "She said she was going to try and stop it somehow. But she never told us what it was."

Rufus folded his arms. "That's unfortunate. Okay, get them in cuffs."

The soldiers moved over to Barret and Tifa and strapped their arms in front of them in handcuffs.

"What's this all about?" Barret demanded.

"Public relations. If people are going to support my efforts to save the planet they're going to need to have their faith in my company restored. By executing the people responsible for this heinous crime, I can regain some credibility," Rufus smirked.

Barret knocked the soldier in front of him down, but Palmer zapped him into submission with his Mako gun. Barret bellowed in rage and hissed. "I take back what little praise I had for this jackass."

"Come now, Barret. You always wanted to save the planet. Your death will play a very big part in helping that. You can die a martyr for you cause. I'm sure they'll write books about you and your little band for years to come," Rufus chuckled cruelly. "Now move."

The two were escorted to a much larger room where the central object of attention was a very large and intimidating looking gas chamber. A crowd of people were gathered, and hisses, screams and boos welcomed Barret and Tifa as they were marched in.

Rufus looked around expectantly. "What is this? Where the hell are the other prisoners?"

Reno walked up and shrugged his shoulders. "Well we let that mechanical cat go, since he's working for us. And the others are en route. Except that ninja girl. Somehow she escaped."

"I really don't like killing kids anyways. This will be more than acceptable," Rufus nodded.

Scarlet walked out of the gas chamber and her eyes went instantly to Tifa. "Oh Rufus, do let's get started. The crowd can hardly wait. Who wants to see the villains who brought this madness upon us brought to justice!"

There was a cheer from the crowd. Scarlet walked up and grabbed Tifa's arms and pulled her forward.

"No damn it!" Barret shouted. "If you gotta do it, do me first!"

"Wait your turn, daddy. I'm sure we'll want to get your tear-filled goodbye to your daughter on camera. People won't admit it, but they love this sort of thing," Scarlet grinned as she threw Tifa into the chamber and locked the door. "Start the gas!"

But before the gas began there was a loud siren that rang through the entire city of Junon. The lights flashed and a loud announcement came over the speakers.

"WEAPON sighted! It's approaching the city! To your battle stations everyone! Divert power from all non-essential systems!"

"Damn!" Rufus cursed. "Scarlet, finish these idiots off. Palmer, Reno, come with me!"

The three men left the room. Scarlet turned back to the operator. "Well, I'm sure they can handle that. Now where was my gas?"

Rufus stood on the deck of the Junon Cannon. He looked out over the seas. Out in the distance, just inside the distance one could see with their naked eyes, he saw the hulking shadow of one of the WEAPONs.

"Ready the Junon Cannon. I don't care what these things are supposed to be, they're no match for good firepower," Rufus ordered. "As soon as that beast gets in range, take it down!"

A few seconds passed, the shadow became far more solid.

A few more and Rufus could see the blue hue of its shell.

"Cannon is ready to fire, sir!" A soldier said.

Some birds flew past the window, flying towards land.

Rufus could see the rough shape of the creature now.

"Damn it's moving fast," Reno shuddered.

"The Cannon will slow him down," Heidegger said confidently.

Rufus could see every portion of its body now as it glided through the water.

"Ready to fire, sir!" The soldier insisted.

"Hold your fire! We can only fire one round at a time, we have to make it count," Rufus ordered.

Rufus reflected back on his brief days studying the history of this cannon. It had once been used to fend off a poorly coordinated naval attack from Wutai. They thought that by attacking on the western shore as opposed to the more logical eastern shore, they could gain the element of surprise. One shell ripped through three of their ships. No living thing could possibly survive contact with its firepower.

Another minute passed. Rufus looked at the sheer size of the beast. It was bigger than any ship or airship in the Shinra fleet. Completely emerged from water it must be as tall as the city itself.

He could see the sunlight glinting off of the creature's scales now.

"Sir!" The soldier shouted.

"Fire!" Rufus shouted back.

The cannon burst, shaking the deck. Its massive shell ripped through the air at blistering speeds and a massive collision with the water created a deafening shock wave of sound. At first, Rufus thought he'd gone deaf, but he still heard the beeping of the machines and the gasps and cries of the people around him.

The sea had gone silent.

"Did we get him?" Heidegger asked.

The smoke around the creature cleared. Heidegger was right. The Cannon had slowed him down. Pity that was the only thing it had accomplished.

"No," Rufus said. "We've just made him angry."

Heidegger turned to the soldier. "Reload the cannon! Get every minigun and robo sentry to the wharf straight away. Tell all soldiers to fire at will! That beast will NOT set foot on this continent alive!"

"Yes sir!" The soldiers shouted as they ran out of the deck to spread the word.

"I'm retiring to my chopper. I don't need to see this town get destroyed. Send word to the Highwind to prepare for liftoff," Rufus said.

"Yes, Mr. President," Heidegger nodded.

Back in the gas chamber Barret was leaning against the wall. The gas had taken a while to get going, but had started almost a minute ago.

"And that will be the longest she could have held her breath folks," Scarlet smiled. "Don't mind the sound of the cannon. We're just taking care of another little pest. I'm certain we've already wiped it off the face of the earth."

Out of nowhere, the door burst open. Cait Sith rushed in. "That's enough Scarlet. Turn off the gas and let that girl out!"

Scarlet looked shocked. "What the hell are you talking about? You were supposed to be our informant!"

"Yeah, I've changed my mind about that. Besides, I really hate you anyways!" Cait Sith shouted. Cait Sith's Mog jumped onto the stage and pushed her back against the wall of the gas chamber.

The soldiers leapt up and raised their weapons.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," came a cool voice from behind one of them.

Vincent stood holding a pistol in one hand and a sawed off shotgun in the other.

"Yeah, shouldn't you be out hunting that WEAPON?" Cid said as he casually walked through the door.

A shuriken flew through the air and slammed into the back wall just above a soldiers head. Yuffie was the next through the door. "You guys are pathetic. Can't even handle a few prisoners?"

Red was at her side. "Go now. Your lives aren't worth losing fruitlessly trying to stop us here."

The soldiers didn't need to be told twice and they ran out the door.

"Come back here you cowards!" Scarlet shouted.

"Jigs up Scarlet," Barret said as Yuffie undid his cuffs. "Let her out now."

Scarlet grinned. "I can't. Once the gas starts, the door remains locked until it stops flowing. There's no emergency override either. Sorry. She's as good as dead."

The Mog threw Scarlet against the adjacent wall and she collapsed.

"What now?" Red asked.

"There is another way. We might be able to use a rocket to break the rear wall, but it's risky as hell," Cait Sith said.

"No kidding," Cid hissed. "Got any plans that don't involve killing Tifa while trying to save her life?"

"Just trust me," Cait Sith said.

All of a sudden there was a large magical whirring sound and the entire building shook.

The group fell to the ground. When they got to their feets they saw something had rent through the entire building leaving a very tiny gap between the gas chamber and the conference room outside.

"Tifa! Are you okay?" Barret shouted.

Tifa coughed. "I'm okay. I spent years learning how to hold my breath for long periods of time."

"What happened in there? Something blow up?" Cid asked.

"WEAPON must have fired a laser! It blasted through this whole room. I'll climb out this way. Try to meet me with a ride, okay?" Tifa said.

"A ride?" Yuffie asked. "What are we going to grow wings now?"

"Don't need to grow them," Cid said, looking out the window at the airport where the Highwind was getting ready to depart. "Shinra will build us a pair."

The scene on the shorefront was absolute chaos. WEAPON was now standing less than a quarter mile off the shoreline, firing at the town with a battery of lasers and magic missiles. The Shinra retaliation was pathetic. Even their highest caliber miniguns couldn't hope to undo the shell of the creature.

"General Heidegger!" The soldier operating the cannon said. "Our round is reloaded. It's our last round for this cannon, sir."

"The cannon was not meant for repeat firing," Heidegger said. "We'll have to make do."

WEAPON moved up close to the tip of the cannon now, it put its claw at the end of it and was using it as a guiding rod to pull itself further inland.

"The stupid beast is daring us to takes our best shot. Very well. Fire!" Heidegger ordered.

The round cracked into the monster's head. At first, the monster remained standing. But when the smoke cleared, Heidegger saw what remained of the monster's head fall to the ocean below.

"We tore its damned head off!" The soldiers shouted in jubilation.

The rest of the carcass fell over and weighed down by its scaly armor, sunk deep beneath the waves.

"Has the President left yet?" Heidegger asked. "Because I think he'll want to be a part of this celebration."

Tifa climbed down the front of the city, carefully sliding down to the base of the Junon cannon which had just moments ago delivered the deathblow to the WEAPON.

"Unbelievable," she gasped, as she slowly slid onto the barrel of the cannon which gave her plenty of room to walk on.

"Isn't it though?" Came a voice behind her.

Tifa turned around and saw Scarlet was standing right behind her. She slapped Tifa hard across the face and Tifa hit the ground with a jolt. Her handcuffs broke apart when she wrenched onto a nearby exhaust pipe to try and prevent herself from falling. She lay near the edge of the cannon, and began to slowly pull herself up.

"I have no more patience for your group. Everything I create you work so hard to destroy," Scarlet hissed. "Stand up!"

Tifa did as she was told but as the second slap came, she grabbed Scarlet's wrist and slapped her hard across the face. "That hurt, bitch!"

Tifa turned and ran to the end of the cannon. Seeing the signal from above she leapt off the edge.

"Are you insane?" Scarlet shouted.

But she wasn't. Tifa landed on a hard wooden deck and then felt the sensation of rising up. She looked around and saw that her timing was perfect. She had landed on the Highwind, and Barret had caught her.

"Thanks for the ride, Scarlet! Tell your boss we said hi!" Cid called from the deck as the Highwind tore up high into the sky and far away from Junon.


	44. Chapter 43: Mideel

Chapter 43: Mideel

Cid folded his arms as he walked onto the bridge of the Highwind. There was a smirk on his face that somehow made him look years younger. He looked out the main cabin window into the vast expanse of mountains beneath them. Off in the distance he could see the lights of Midgar as the sun began to set.

He turned around and looked at his faithful crew.

"This is more like it," Cid smiled. "Back in the air where I belong."

"Great to have you back Captain Cid!" The pilot smiled, applauding.

The pilot looked no more than 20 whereas the rest of the crew working at the various stations of operation were in their 30s and 40s. Though they all wore blue Shinra technical uniforms, they were clearly more loyal to Cid than to Shinra.

"Yeah," said the tech officer. "Didn't seem right flying around without the namesake on board."

Cid lit up a cigarette. "I am more than just the namesake. I designed this ship myself from bridge to beer kegs and those idiots at Shinra don't know half of its tricks."

"Such as?" Tifa asked, leaning back against the railing.

Cid had almost forgotten that he wasn't in command of a Shinra crew anymore. It came rushing back to him as Tifa spoke that he, along with all of them, were fugitives and outlaws who very likely only had days to live.

Cid turned to her and shrugged. "Well she can't get us into space, but anywhere on the planet we could want to go, she'll get us there."

"Maybe now that we don't need to walk everywhere we'll be able to get something done," Barret said.

"Get what done exactly?" Yuffie asked.

The group turned to the teenager who was clutching her stomach. Another thing they had almost forgotten about was her motion sickness.

"There's a giant meteor about to destroy the planet," Yuffie groaned. "What do you think we can do?"

"That's a cheery attitude," Cait Sith hissed. "The point is we have to do something, don't we?"

"I agree with Yuffie that the odds do seem stacked against us," Red XIII nodded. "I don't suppose anybody has any ideas?"

Tifa closed her eyes. What could they do? They were in a fairly hopeless situation. First Aeris and now Cloud…

"Cloud isn't dead," Tifa said, opening her eyes. "I can just feel it, you know? Cloud's still out there somewhere."

"Tifa, when WEAPON showed up the entire craters collapsed in on itself. There's no way Cloud could have survived," Barret said consolingly.

"Sephiroth was supposed to have died once before too," Tifa said. "I won't believe it until I see it. Cid, can this airship get us back to the Northern Limits?"

"Yes ma'am. Sounds about as good an idea as any," Cid said. "Any objections?"

The group shook their heads. Vincent spoke up.

"We might as well see what's become of the place since we've been gone," he commented.

"Sounds like a plan then!" Cid barked. "Okay folks, we're heading north. Pilot you know what the hell you're doing?"

"Uh," the pilot fiddled with the controls. "I'm sorry, sir, I'm still in training."

"Oh god, I'm gonna go lay down," Yuffie whined, leaving the bridge.

The airship was incredibly fast. A journey that had taken them several weeks on foot got them to the North Crater in mere hours. All around them were mountains and the night sky, illuminated by the moonshine on the ominous red meteor.

"That place still looks as ugly as ever," Cid said. "Okay buddy, get us in closer. We're gonna take a look around."

"I can't sir!" The pilot called. "Somethings jamming our instruments. It won't let me get any closer than this!"

"Lemme see!" Cid said, moving over to the control panel. "These new parts can be fiddly. Sometimes you just gotta force them-"

But as Cid attempted to push the airship closer one of the engines cut out and the Highwind began to slowly descend.

"We're losing altitude! We need to back off, Cid!" One of the engineers called.

"Hull to starboard! Get us out of here son!" Cid ordered.

The ship glided more than flew down slowly through the mountains finally touching down on a small plateau near Icicle Inn.

"What the hell was that?" Barret asked.

"Hell if I know," Cid replied. "When we tried to get closer one of the engines lost its power. Thank goodness this beast has four or we'd have been in serious trouble."

"It must be some kind of force field. No doubt Sephiroth put it there to protect himself," Red suggested. "We won't be able to approach the Crater by air or on foot as the Great Glacier was damaged by the revival of WEAPON."

"Then there's no way to get in and face him huh," Yuffie said.

Tifa looked out over the plateau and saw the Crater. Now that she saw it clearly she could almost make out a slight ripple in the air surrounding it, but it was too dark to tell.

"There has to be some way," Tifa sighed, sitting down. "Cid, how long before that engine is fixed?"

"It'll be no earlier than the morning. She took a beating," Cid replied.

"Tifa," Red said. "I believe I may have an idea."

Tifa looked over to him. "Yes, Red?"

"The lifestream flowed to the Crater from all over the planet. We know of many leylines that flow through the planet."

"So what's your point?" Yuffie asked.

"I think I see where he's going with this," Vincent said. "If Cloud fell into the Lifestream there's a possibility he may have drifted along any of these leylines."

"But that could mean he's anywhere," Yuffie sighed.

"True. Now on most of these leylines, they build Mako Reactors, but there is one leyline that remains to this day untapped," Red began. "It is in the tropical island of Mideel, southeast of Junon. Shinra never put a Mako Reactor there because the pool was too large and too unstable to be useable."

"I'm still not following you," Yuffie said.

"Well if Cloud's body had been uncovered at one of the Mako Reactors don't you think Shinra would be making a big fuss about it?" Cait Sith suggested.

"I don't know about that," Red said. "Admittedly this is a longshot, but it is a possible avenue of investigation."

"It's our best lead so far," Tifa nodded. "We may as well give it a shot."

"It's a full day's flight to get from here to Mideel. You all should get to bed and probably wanna sleep through the day," Cid suggested. "I'll wake you when we get there."

"What about you Cid?" Tifa asked.

"I'll go to bed after the engine's fixed, don't worry about me," Cid said. "I'm too excited to sleep right now anyways."

After a rough night of working the ship was up and running exactly as Cid as predicted. The Highwind took off with the majority of AVALANCHE still fast asleep. Only Tifa and Cid were still awake.

"You really can't sleep huh?" Tifa asked.

"I'm just happy to be back. My ships are my true home. This Highwind more than any of them. The Little Bronco was fun, may she rest in peace, but this ship truly captures the feeling of flight," Cid said. "Course I'd have loved the Shinra26 if she went into space, but even then she was only good for one flight."

Tifa smiled weakly. "I've never really felt like I had a home, you know? Nibelheim, Sector 7, it was always just looking for a new place to hide myself."

Cid gave her an appraising look. "Hell, we're all nomads, Tifa. It's like those old stories about the Ancients and stuff. We're just killing time here on this planet. And when we're done, we're done."

"So you don't care what happens after?" Tifa asked.

"What happens after I die? I return to the Lifestream and go make a nice pretty tree somewhere. Look I don't know if I believe that this so-called Lifestream is anything spiritual or what have you, but all I know is that when I die, the only way people will remember me is for what I did while I was alive. What happens after? I don't really think about that."

"Even as far as we've come, you don't think there's more to life than that?" Tifa asked.

Cid shrugged. "I'm having too much fun with you numbskulls to get upset over stuff like that. Besides, whether or not there's more to life than the here and now is kinda moot when you're about a week away from destruction."

"And yet you're helping us, instead of just flying away to some beach and drinking your last days away," Tifa said.

"That's a mistake people like you always make. My belief that the world is based on today doesn't mean I don't have any hope. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm sticking with you guys because I believe that today is worth fighting for." Cid said. He then rubbed his head. "I'm getting a little too philosophical, I should probably get some sleep."

That evening Cid was the first to wake up. He woke the others up in turn; they had arrived at Mideel. While the view from the air made everything look this way, Mideel looked very small.

"Not much there is there?" Barret asked.

"Can we just please land already?" Yuffie asked.

"Set her down Cid!" Tifa called.

The view up close wasn't much better. The town was a small tropical resort, and not much else. A few shanty houses lined a single street, at the end of which was a small white clinic. There was a small crowd gathered around the entrance to the clinic.

"Something's going on," Cid said. "Hey Tifa!"

Tifa had broken into a run towards the clinic. As she got closer she heard the whispers of the people near her.

"It's some man with blond hair."

"Looks like he was in SOLDIER. I can tell by the uniform."

"No they say he hasn't said anything since he woke up."

Tifa pushed her way through to the front of the clinic where she saw laying on the ground, still slightly damp from the Mako, the battered body of Cloud Strife.

"Cloud!" She gasped, reaching down to hug him.

"Back away please, miss!" Came the voice of one of the doctors. "You should keep your distance, he's suffering from severe Mako poisoning."

"How did you find him?" Tifa asked.

"He washed up on shore near the mako pool," said one of the nurses. "He's catatonic; won't respond to anything."

The others rushed up behind her. Tifa heard Yuffie's bossy voice echoing through the street.

"Get out of the way! Hey back off buddy! Move it gramps!"

"What is it, Tifa?" Cait Sith asked.

"Is it him- Cloud!" Red called, witnessing Cloud's body.

"Now really!" The doctor called. "You all should please back away while we try to treat him. I know he's a friend of yours but you must let me work."

Tifa reluctantly let him go as the doctor and nurse dragged him inside the clinic. The nurse came back out after a few minutes. "We'll treat him right up and then we'll let you see him okay? Just wait here."

The nurse went back in to assist the doctor. Tifa sat down against the back wall of the clinic.

"That's a great call, miss. I can't believe he was actually here," Cid chuckled. "Doesn't look too bad either."

"Mako poisoning is very serious," Vincent said. "He's lucky to be alive, but recovery when it's that advanced is highly unlikely."

Tifa knew Vincent was right, but she didn't want to hear it right now. "Shut up, Vincent."

Vincent raised his eyebrow. "My apologies. I'll leave."

Vincent turned back and returned to the ship.

Tifa rubbed her eyes. "I'm sorry. I can't go with you all."

"What are you talking about?" Barret asked.

"I have to stay here with Cloud," Tifa said. "I'm sorry. I know you all need me, but I have to be here for him if… when he wakes up."

"Tifa, if Cloud ever recovers it's gonna take a hell of a lot longer than the- what, nine days that we have left?" Cid said.

"I know. But that's why I have to be here," Tifa said. "You remember how you said your home is the Highwind Cid? My home is with Cloud."

Barret folded his arms. "So… it's like that is it?"

Tifa didn't say anything. She just stood up and handed her few materia orbs back to Barret.

Barret nodded.

"What that's it?" Yuffie asked. "You're just gonna leave us?"

Barret turned to Yuffie. "Tifa's made up her mind. Nobody's forcing you to stick around with us. We can drop you at Wutai if you want."

Yuffie shook her head. "No. I'm gonna stick around and help. We have a world to save here guys. I'll be coming back here, you hear me Tifa?"

Tifa again smiled weakly. "I look forward to it."

"Tifa, you take care of Cloud. If anything changes, you just gimme a call on the PHS, okay?" Cid said.

"Yes sir," Tifa nodded.

"Okay!" Cid shouted. "Everybody back on the Highwind. Yuffie is quite correct, we got a world to save!"


	45. Chapter 44: Huge Materia

Chapter 44: Huge Materia

Rufus paced around his office in the Shinra Tower. It had been a very long time since he'd been there. After he took a shower and shaved properly for the first time in months he sat down at his desk. He took a bottle of wine out of one of the drawers and opened it, pouring himself a glass.

Pressing a switch on his console, he said. "Bring them in."

His staff walked in. Every one of them looked worn out, particularly Scarlet who still had a very sizable bruise on her cheek.

"The Highwind was stolen by AVALANCHE," Rufus said. "Not one of them was executed. Sephiroth is still missing, WEAPON sightings are a daily occurrence around the world and need I remind you that the Meteor is still approaching."

He stood up and threw the wine bottle against the back window, just barely missing Reeve's head.

"What is being done about this?!" He shouted.

"We have our forces hunting down-" but Heidegger was cut off.

"Our military is staffed with people as incompetent as you lot! They've evaded capture for almost a year now! There's nine of them! Nine people should not be that hard to hunt down!" Rufus cursed, he stopped shouting and now seemed to be whispering to himself. "We had them. We could have simply put bullets in their heads and been done with it. Cloud's dead, sure. Aeris is dead, okay. There's still seven of them left and now they have an airship. "

"Sir," Scarlet said tentatively. "I have a plan, about the Meteor."

Rufus didn't seem to have the energy left to shout, but did not sound pleased. He scoffed and then softly said. "Alright, let's hear it."

"Dr. Hojo has been falsifying the reports on the Huge Mako for months now. They exhibit more energy than any of our other condensed models," Scarlet said. "We can turn that energy into a weapon. I'm convinced it we can bring a few of these samples together-"

"Space, Scarlet," Rufus said, his voice now raising slightly. "The Junon Canon, your 'Sister Ray' won't fire into space."

"We won't use the Junon Cannon," Scarlet said. She turned to Palmer. "We'll use the Shinra 26."

Palmer gasped. "The rocket? B-but it's not equipped to handle a payload of more than a few astronauts and supplies. It's a spaceship, not a missile."

"We can make adjustments as needed," Scarlet said. "I've already determined from these reports four suitable samples that when combined should make an excellent bomb. I've already retrieved the first sample from Nibelheim's reactor.

"How soon can you have the others?" Rufus asked.

"There's the one in Corel, we could have that one later today. Then the one at Fort Condor, but the Warhammer Unit has still not managed to capture it," Scarlet continued.

"Send SOLDIER to assist them. And the fourth?" Rufus asked.

"Junon's underwater reactor. Now I hardly need tell you that the extraction of these Huge Materia carries risk for the civilians," Scarlet explained.

"I don't care," Rufus said. "A few of them die now or we all die in two weeks. Just get that rocket ready. You have three days."

"So. We're dropping like flies," Barret said onboard the Highwind.

"At least we know that Cloud is alive," Yuffie said.

"Right, but now there's just six of us not counting the airship crew," Barret said rubbing his chin. "We need to think of something to do to try and stop Sephiroth and Meteor. We also need to elect a new leader. Now I would have put myself in that role-"

Barret stopped and looked around. He sat down on the stairwell looking at the heirloom he'd received from Dyne.

"But recent events have proven that I'm not capable of being a responsible leader," Barret said. "I think with my heart and not my head. We need somebody who has experience and intelligence."

He turned to Cid who was leaning back against the bridge's forward railing.

"Cid. You're in charge," Barret said.

"Damn right I am, it's my ship," Cid chuckled. "But thank you, Barret."

"So do we have any ideas, Cid?" Red asked.

"Well to be honest not at the moment," Cid replied. "It's all kinda sudden."

"I have news!" Cait Sith called through his megaphone. The others covered their ears from the high-pitched ringing and the airship's altitude dropped slightly.

When they regained their composure, Cid spoke first. "Uh, okay. I guess kitty's got the floor."

Cait Sith leapt off of his Mog and onto the tallest terminal he could find so as to be visible to everybody. "I got word that Shinra is building a weapon out of the Shinra 26."

"The Shinra 26?" Cid shouted. "My rocket?! What the hell are they gonna do with that?"

"The plan is to use Huge Materia. Only a few reactors can produce these things," Cait Sith explained.

"Huge Materia. Scarlet mentioned that before. Back at the Gongaga Reactor," Red explained.

"Too right she did," Cait Sith nodded. "Now it's too late to do anything about the one at Nibelheim, they already got it. They've got one in the Junon Underwater Reactor, but it'll be about two days before they can extract it. Operating at those depths is tricky at the best of times.

"There's another in Fort Condor, and Shinra is flying troops to backup the Warhammer Unit," Cait Sith said. "They'll be in position in a day or so. Then there's a target which is in immediate danger. Corel."

"Corel?!" It was Barret's turn to shout. "Those bastards have already done enough to that place!"

"Well first thing is first then," Cid said, talking to everybody. "We're going to have to stop Shinra from gathering this Huge Materia. Fort Condor and Corel are first priority. We'll drop a team of three of us at Fort Condor and the other three will head to Corel. We'll meet outside Junon when we're done."

"Why are we splitting up?" Yuffie asked.

"Just because reinforcements aren't there yet doesn't mean the battle hasn't begun at Fort Condor. We'll do a blow-through to offer some air support for a bit and drop three of you off. I'm thinking Cait Sith, Yuffie and Vincent at Fort Condor and Barret, Red and myself will go to Corel," Cid explained.

"I don't know if we're quite equipped to handle an entire army of soldiers by ourselves Cid," Cait Sith protested.

"You'll have backup from Fort Condor's guys obviously," Cid said. "And besides, with the payload this baby is packing I don't think you'll need to worry about the Warhammer Unit."

"Readying the missiles then, Captain?" Asked a crewmember.

"You bet. And full-speed to Fort Condor. Blow-and-go operation," Cid explained.

Their arrival at Fort Condor was less than smooth. As Cid had predicted the battle had already begun with the Warhammer Unit and a flock of Wyverns rushed up to attack the Highwind. A few gatling guns on the side deck managed to tear them apart but not before Cid almost crashed into the giant Condor who was showing nothing short of awe-inspiring stoicism in the face of such an onslaught.

The ship lurched back as the missiles fired. Four of them swooped down shrieking through the air like metallic vultures. Their impact devastated the Warhammer Unit soldiers that were on the mountain.

"Okay guys. This is where we let you off! Take the ropes and get down there. Show them no mercy!" Cid shouted.

"We'll see in you in Junon then," Vincent nodded, lifting a rifle out of his cloak. Barret gave it an odd look.

"I borrowed this back in Junon. They took my pistol, you see," Vincent explained coolly. "I trust there are no objections?"

Barret shook his head. Vincent, Yuffie and Cait walked out onto the deck of the Highwind and slid down the anchor ropes into the middle of the battlefield. The Highwind rushed off after launching two more missiles which exploded in the valley knocking out several encampments.

"So I guess this is the part where we have to actually fight with no air support huh," Cait Sith observed. "Pity there's still plenty of them left."

"This is what we do for a living," Yuffie smirked. "Bring it on!"


	46. Chapter 45: Rude

Chapter 45: Rude

"We have an opportunity to redeem our previous mistakes," said Heidegger as Rude entered his office.

"What's that?" Rude asked. He looked around the large, yet cluttered office and saw that Reno and Tseng were already sitting in chairs opposite of Heidegger, awaiting their orders.

"Avalanche has chosen this opportunity to strike. We've received reports of their activities at Fort Condor and the Highwind has been seen approaching Corel," Heidegger said.

"So we're to go and intercept them there, sir?" Tseng asked.

"It would be pointless to try and intercept them now. But how do you think they learned the locations of the Huge Materia?" Heidegger asked.

"We've got a spy in their ranks, perhaps they've a spy in ours?" Rude asked. "I didn't think they were that well outfitted."

"I suspect the spy may be one and the same," Heidegger explained. "How do you think our informant got Avalanche to trust him again?"

"We can nail him easily enough," Reno said. "Or just take him out of the picture altogether."

"It will be hard to get any proof, and he is close enough to Rufus that we can't simply exterminate him," Tseng pointed out.

"Exactly," Heidegger nodded. "I've chosen to leave Elena out of this investigation for the time being. She's still too new. Rude, I want you to handle the investigation on our informant. Reno, I want you out at the Underwater Reactor. If Avalanche shows up, you know what to do."

"What should I do?" Tseng asked.

"I need you protecting the launch pad at Rocket Town. There is a chance they could try to attack the rocket as well, even with Cid in their ranks," Heidegger ordered.

"Understood," the three Turks nodded and they stood up to leave. Rude stopped at the door and turned to Heidegger.

"Sir," he asked. "If I find out anything-"

"You bring it directly to me first," Heidegger explained. "We can't trust anybody anymore. Not even Rufus Shinra."

Rude left and Heidegger opened a folder he'd been examining before they came in. Times were tough, but he would have to bury the hatchet. His hands ran along the first blueprint, which in fine and very official white typing was labeled "Proud-Clad".

He pulled his PHS out of his pocket and called Scarlet.

"Scarlet," she answered, a bite of impatience in her voice.

"Scarlet, this is Heidegger. Are you still willing to move forward with the Proud-Clad project?" He asked.

Scarlet paused for a moment. She seemed to be biding for time with her response. "You agree to the requirements for secrecy?"

"Black ops are a specialty of mine. Especially in the current climate. We should be able to funnel funds from your Sister Ray project without being detected," Heidegger offered.

"Proud-Clad is designed for anti-WEAPON warfare. I doubt Rufus would object, I just don't want there to be anything that he could… misconstrue," Scarlet explained as though she were on trial.

"There is no need to hide any intent from me, Scarlet," Heidegger said. "It seems we're not the only ones alone with these thoughts either. But that is for another time."

Scarlet paused again. After almost a minute of silence she replied. "I'll forward the updated blueprints to your specialty team."

"Understood," Heidegger nodded in approval as he replied. "See you soon, Scarlet."

* * *

The night sky burned with the flames of war. Yuffie was on her knees and Cait Sith was drooping on the back of his Mog who seemed almost completely out of fuel. The only warrior still standing was Vincent, who held his rifle still and aimed as carefully as he had hours ago.

"They just keep coming," Yuffie sighed. "I didn't expect it to last this long."

"Even with the reinforcements from the mountain we are facing SOLDIER units now, not just the Warhammer," Vincent explained. "Considering we are alive, I'd say so far so good."

"We'll never be able to beat them all back!" Cait Sith cursed, smacking his paw on the ground beside his Mog.

"Give us some time!" Said one of the Fort Condor troops beside them. "Our defensive team is setting up some catapults and mangonels."

"We can't win solely on defense against this kind of onslaught," Vincent said.

"No, but it will buy us some time to regroup hopefully," the soldier replied, slashing his sword into one of the Warhammer beasts.

"I hope you're right," Yuffie said getting to her feet. "Okay, second wind! Let's go!"

"Don't get too excited or you'll wear yourself out again," Vincent said.

"Hey, I know what I'm doing," Yuffie hissed.

"Clearly," Cait Sith replied. "You threw your shuriken once and then tripped over your own shoelaces."

"Shut up kitty!" Yuffie yelled slashing through one of the barbarians.

* * *

The Corel Reactor was as miserable a place as Barret remembered. Only now the place seemed far more lively, with Shinra soldiers working to remove the Huge Materia that lay inside. Barret, Cid and Red were in hiding on a plateau nearby.

"How do you think they're gonna move it?" Cid asked, quietly.

"Well obviously they'll employ the railway," Red suggested. "The retrieval team would likely be at the end of the tracks."

"But the tracks run right through Corel!" Barret shouted, before Cid put his hand over his mouth.

"Shut up you damn fool, you wanna blow our cover?!" Cid whispered.

Barret regained his calm, but only barely. "We have to stop the train before they plow right through the town."

"I agree with Barret," Red nodded. "This may be the time for action."

The sound of a steam whistle pierced the valley near the Corel Reactor and a large train came rolling out of the reactor. Barret jumped off the plateau and landed on the train. Cid and Red weren't far behind, landing on the car behind Barret.

The soldiers seemed briefly stunned by the sudden appearance of the three, but opened fire quickly. With a blast of fire from Red, the soldiers who were supposed to be on the rear car fell back into the reactor.

A 2nd class SOLDIER lunged in and swiped at Barret. Even with Barret's now extensive combat experience he was only just keeping up with the soldier, dodging his sword strikes and occasionally being forced to use his gunarm as a shield. Cid entered the fray using his spear to try and protect Barret from some blows, but this was not terribly effective. The expect warrior was able to match the two of them without breaking a sweat.

Barret now truly appreciated the incredible fighting strength of members of SOLDIER. With a dive and a potshot, Barret was able to hit the SOLDIER in the chest with a few rounds, and Cid finished him off with a swipe from his spear, knocking him off the train.

The man conducting the train was only a Shinra Soldier, and seeing the SOLDIER 2nd Class be defeated had robbed him of what little courage he had. He leapt over the side of the railway and landed in a rocky crevice a few feet down from the tracks.

"Barret, you ever control one of these things before?" Cid asked.

"Trains?" Barret asked incredulously. "I grew up around them but never actually controlled one myself."

"Perhaps there's a manual?" Red asked. "In the meantime I suggest we do something. Corel is getting remarkably close."

Barret and Cid looked up and saw the small town of Corel in the distance. They had mere minutes to stop this train.

"Look there's two levers. I say we push them both and see what happens!" Cid shouted.

"That seems like a terrible idea," Red shouted.

With no other plan, Barret pushed both levers down. This, of course, did not stop the train. In fact it seemed to let more coal into the engine and the train was now bolting faster than ever. If they'd in fact had a few minutes to figure out the controls before, they were now down to seconds as the last bridge was mere yards away from them.

In desperation, Cid slammed both levers as high as they would go. This slowed them down, but only just enough to buy them a little more time.

"Oh I get it!" Cid shouted. "One controls throttle, the other regulates fuel input."

"Don't explain, just do!" Barret shouted.

Cid slammed the left lever up and the right lever down. The train careened towards the entrance to Corel, but with a screech that echoed through the mountain, the train stopped just before the town.

"Barret," came the voice of one of the townsfolk.

Barret looked up to see the same person who had decked him the first time he'd come back to Corel.

"If you're going to hit him again, I suggest you listen to what we have to say first," Red said, standing up on the top of the train.

"No need," the man said shrugging. "We see it clear as day. Shinra comes and tries to destroy what little we've rebuilt for us and Barret- and his friends," he nodded to Red, "managed to stop them."

It was as if the last five years of Barrets life had not happened. He was no longer the traitor who had ruined the lives of all those in Corel. Barret was praised as a hero who had come back to save the town that had abandoned him. Most of the songs of praise oddly ignored the fact that the people signing it had been the ones who abandoned him.

While the townsfolk cheered, Cid pulled out an enormous green piece of materia from the rear train car. "This must be Huge Materia."

"Come on," Barret said after his third drink. "We need to go make sure Yuffie, Vincent and Cait Sith are okay."

"Right," Cid nodded. "Back to the Highwind."

* * *

The catapults had been readied and Yuffie, Vincent and Cait Sith retreated back to the rear guard. The catapults and mangonels were incredibly crude in design, but there was no doubting their efficacy. The boulders they were capable of hurling would easily crush the bones of anybody foolish enough to cross their paths.

"Hold fire until they reach the first tier!" Shouted the commander. "We'll need to make every shot count."

The Warhammer Unit had taken the opportunity of retreat to regroup themselves. They now charged in full force, which was exceedingly great considering the losses they'd sustained. Some 400 men rushed up the steppes and switchbacks, accompanied by wyverns and beasts. Intermingled in their ranks was the occasional SOLDIER 3rd Class or machine.

"Hold your fire!" The commander ordered.

They were now at the 2nd defensive tier. Vincent could make out individual shapes even in the smoke and fog. Red flags rose from the mountainside as they reached the 1st defensive tier.

"Fire at will!" The commander cried.

Ropes were cut and the massive boulders were hurled through the air by the catapults or else left to roll free down the narrow ledges by the mangonels. One or two of the catapults even launched large balls of wool and sticks lit ablaze , creating massive fireballs that soared through the air, burning man and beast alike.

However, even with the advantageous position of defense, they were still outnumbered. All seemed lost, until the Condor atop the mountain swooped down and crushed an entire company of Shinra Soldiers with its body. It then became apparent that the Condor had not attacked, it had fallen.

The Condor was dead.

The Shinra troops rallied themselves for a final attack. The spirit of the soldiers of Fort Condor had been broken. The creature they had fought so hard to protect had been brought down. However a magnificent light shone from the top of Fort Condor.

"The light of the phoenix," Yuffie gasped. "I remember Shake teaching me about this."

"What's that?" Cait Sith asked.

"Take cover everybody!" Yuffie cried.

Soaring high over the newborn baby Condor came an enormous golden and red bird. In the path it cut through the air a smoldering wake of fire lit the mountainside ablaze. And that was the end of it. Not enough troops remained on Shinra's side to reasonably attack. They were forced to retreat into the hills.

"Whenever a mother bird dies to defend her young, sometimes the Phoenix takes pity on them," Yuffie explained. "This is very rare, but can happen if the need is great enough. Phoenix is the god of all life and death, but has a special affiliation with birds. Especially the Condor and Garuda, or so legends say. The Phoenix reigns death upon the enemies of the newborn and protects those who seek to protect it. That way the mother does not die in vain, you see?"

"Remarkable," Vincent nodded. "With power like that, I doubt that Shinra will ever try to attack this fort again."

"We can only hope," Yuffie sighed. "Come on. Let's go secure the Huge Materia."

* * *

Rude opened the door to Reeve's office. He saw the man looking over the same folder that had been absorbing so much of Rufus's time these days. The projections on the Huge Materia rocket.

"Working hard?" Rude asked.

"I've been trying to determine whether or not this is the best course of action, but I'm no scientist," Reeve sighed. "Not much of one compared to Scarlet or Heidegger that is."

"And Dr. Hojo?" Rude asked.

"He's only interested in himself these days. Keeps testing out those dormant JENOVA cells that remained from the breakout a few months ago," Reeve added.

"Do you think he's a threat?" Rude asked.

"No more than usual. Rufus does an okay job keeping the leash on him since the last time he deserted us," Reeve replied. He now glanced at Rude as though seeing him clearly for the first time. "Why all the questions?"

"This was supposed to be kept secret, but I don't believe in wasting time," Rude said. However he did not explain what he'd actually been sent to investigate. An old tactical trick of misdirection which he had employed many times before. "We believe that Hojo is channeling funds away from our anti-Meteor initiatives to fund his own creations. You should have seen him when we reported the crashed Gelnika."

"Crashed Gelnika?" Reeve asked.

"A Gelnika aircraft carrying Hojo's pet monsters crashed off the coast of Costa Del Sol," Rude explained. "He was willing to do anything to get underwater. I'm convinced he'd even go so far as stealing a submarine."

"Hojo has always been unbalanced," Reeve said. "I trust your boss is aware of this?"

"Fully informed, as usual. I take orders from him remember, not the other way around," Rude nodded.

"Interesting," Reeve said folding his arms.

"Yeah," Rude nodded, a suspicion growing more plausible in his mind as he studied Reeve's reaction. "Interesting."


	47. Chapter 46: Cloud

Chapter 46: Cloud

The Highwind hovered over the lowlands near Junon. Cid and the others swapped stories about their recovery of the two Huge Materia samples when the time came to prepare their next move.

"Well, I suppose the next step would be to head to the Underwater Reactor in Junon," Red suggested. "That's where the next piece is, right?"

"That's why we chose to meet here," Vincent replied. "We should land and then sneak into the city, if that is possible."

"Seems odd to be returning less than two days after we stole their ship," Cid grunted. "Pilot set her down."

As the pilot prepared to land the airship a shockwave of wind with the force of hurricane blew past the Highwind. An enormous winged beast rushed overhead and towards the plains between Junon and Fort Condor. Its dark grey body seemed to absorb the light around it as it cast a shadow anywhere it was seen. It's dark red eyes glowered at the land beneath it and with a terrible fury a bolt of pure energy erupted from the monster.

The earth was rent so deeply that it could have created another crater. The rivers nearby began to flow into the enormous hole as the monster rushed south.

"WEAPON!" The pilot shouted.

"Damn thing is heading for Mideel. We have to stop it!" Cid shouted. "Follow behind that thing!"

"But sir!" The pilot cried back.

"Just do it!" Cid ordered. "We're no time for complaining!"

The pilot turned the Highwind around and at full throttle followed the path of the WEAPON, which mysteriously seemed to take no notice of them.

"He's focused on something," Red said.

"He wants to get to Mideel bad," Cid grunted. "You don't think something to do with Cloud, do you?"

"I'm not certain," Red shrugged. "It may just be drawn to the Lifestream."

"Either way that town's in for a nasty surprise," Yuffie said.

The WEAPON swooped down on the island of Mideel and the Highwind dove with it.

"How are we going to engage that beast?" The pilot shouted. "Our missiles are no good, we could hit the town by mistake!"

"We attack it man-to-beast," Cid shouted. "Barret, Vincent follow me! Red, Cait, Yuffie jump down the other side, we'll get that sucker in a pincer!"

They rushed out onto the deck of the Highwind and once more rappelled down opposite sides of the airship, landing in the center of the town. The small huts were ablaze from the WEAPONs first pass already, and now the very foundation of the earth seemed to tremble.

Tifa had heard the screams of panic even in her half-asleep state. With the doctor and nurse already outside, she grabbed Cloud and set him in a nearby wheelchair.

"Come on Cloud, we're going to get you out of here," Tifa said, rolling him out of the small clinic.

"They're… they're here…" Cloud gasped.

As soon as Tifa got out of the Clinic a swipe from the monsters tail knocked the structure over. She tripped and Cloud fell out of the wheelchair. She rushed to her feet and forced him back in the chair. Off in the distance towards the center of town she saw her friends engaging in battle with the monstrosity.

"W-we-wu-w-WEA-puh-p-PON…" Cloud sputtered.

"Calm down Cloud. We'll be okay!" Tifa cried.

The WEAPON reacted to something. Perhaps it was the hard battle of her comrades, but that didn't seem to be it. At any rate WEAPON didn't even appear to be wounded. Within moments, she knew what it was. The ground quaked again and the earth opened up beneath her and Cloud. They fell down and down the green-blue aura of the Lifestream surrounding them. At last it claimed them, and the world went black.

Tifa floated through a seemingly infinite black void. As she opened her eyes she saw nothing but a very faint glimmer of pale green light. Though it was only a small spark in the distance, in the void that surrounded her it seemed as bright as the sun. She found herself unable to truly move but she tried to will herself towards that light.

Sounds from her past rushed past her like the tides of an ocean. Trains running along the track, the sound of the glasses chinking at the Seventh Heaven, the whirring engines of the dune buggy and the Bronco. She didn't seem to be getting closer to the light, but somehow the light found her, growing brighter and brighter as it came closer to her.

Within moments the light completely enveloped her and she found herself sitting on a crystalline cliff, with Cloud sitting beside her.

"Cloud!" Tifa gasped. "Are you alright?"

"Who… am I?" Cloud asked.

Tifa stood up. "You're Cloud. Cloud Strife. You're my friend."

Cloud stood up too and shook his head. He then turned to her. Tifa gasped as she noticed that Cloud's body was not quite whole. Random chunks of him seemed to be missing and his eyes were pale white with no iris or pupils.

"Who am I?" Cloud demanded again.

"You're Cloud Strife!" Tifa shouted. "The boy from Nibelheim, the member of AVALANCHE. The Soldier 1st Class!"

Cloud raised his sword and smashed it down into the crystal structure around them.

"That's not true!" Cloud shouted. He turned away from her. "I may be called Cloud… or I may not. But none of what happened in the past happened to me. That past is not mine."

He turned to her again, and it was as though he had not noticed her the first time. He gave her a quizzical look. "Who… am I?"

She backed away slowly and the broken and shattered image of Cloud crouched down in a fetal position and began to rub his head as though lost deeply in thought.

"He cuts a pretty pathetic figure," came a voice behind Tifa. She turned and saw a more whole version of Cloud standing behind her. He too, however, seemed off. His hair was a darker blonde, almost brown and his uniform was far too neatly pressed.

A boy peeked out from behind this Cloud. He looked like Cloud as a young preteen, about the age he had been at the well in Nibelheim back when they had made their promise. He was far too clean though, much paler than the Cloud she knew, and his eyes were green, not blue.

"He doesn't know who he is," the boy said.

A third incarnation of Cloud appeared out of nowhere. But this was the most horrible of all. He had long white hair, just like Sephiroth's, and he wore the same black cloak as the Sephiroth clones.

"We don't know the truth either," this version said.

"You've been keeping secrets from him," the young boy Cloud said.

"And because of you, he doesn't know who he is," the SOLDIER Cloud said, pointing his finger accusatorially at her.

Tifa turned back to the broken Cloud who now seemed to be silently weeping.

"You must make things right, Tifa," the robed Cloud said.

Tifa held her hand out to Cloud. "Come, Cloud. You need to know the truth."

Cloud slowly reached out his hand and took Tifa's. The crystalline cliff disappeared and in its place was the well in Nibelheim, where Tifa and Cloud had made their promise all those years ago.

"Was… this real?" Cloud asked.

Tifa nodded. "This was real, Cloud. I didn't really expect you to come. I didn't really know you that well. But you asked me to meet you and I came. The promise you made to me that night was real, Cloud."

"But…" Cloud looked at the scenery around him. "How do I know?"

"Any memory that we both remember we'll know was real. It's a memory that we share, and that's what matters," Tifa said, nodding her head.

Some of the missing pieces from Cloud's body righted themselves, but the scenery changed again. This time a young Cloud was sitting by himself in his room.

"I always wanted to play with you," Cloud said. "I remember now."

The young boy Cloud was present and looking out the window of his room at a child Tifa and several other children playing a game in the streets of Nibelheim. Tifa's heart ached. She had remembered those times.

"We didn't really understand you," Tifa said in an almost pleading voice. "We were so cruel to you for no reason. I never wanted to be that way to you. We were just children then."

Cloud shook his head. "And then… you went to the mountain…"

The scenery shifted again and now Tifa and her friends walked along the dangerous Mt. Nibel path. Her friends ran away scared after only a few feet of the trek, but Tifa pressed on, and a short distance behind her Cloud.

"The rope bridge," Tifa gasped. "I'd almost forgotten myself."

As Tifa reached the rope bridge, she lost her balance and fell over the edge. Cloud did his best to try and pull her up, but he too lost his balance and they both plummeted over the side onto the pass several feet below.

"Your parents blamed me," Cloud said, despondent. "I blamed me."

Tifa smiled and patted Cloud's shoulder. "But some good came out of that." Cloud turned to Tifa. Tifa smiled. "I began to notice how brave you were."

The scene shifted back to the well. Cloud was telling Tifa of his dream to become a SOLDIER.

Cloud shook his head. "But… I never became a SOLDIER."

Tifa's smile faltered slightly. "I know, Cloud. You promised me that you would come when I needed you… but you didn't. It was-"

"Zack," Cloud said.

Tifa nodded. The scene shifted to the front gate of Nibel on that day five years ago. Cloud's image walked up behind Sephiroth, but Tifa shook her head. The image flashed before their eyes and in Cloud's place was Zack, the SOLDIER 1st Class with dark black hair and a cocky smile.

"You must have gained the memories of what happened during that time from Zack," Tifa said, on the brink of tears. "You were never there."

However more pieces of Cloud slowly came back to him. His body was now whole except for his eyes.

"No," Cloud said. "I was there."

"No Cloud," Tifa said, shaking her head. "You never became a SOLDIER."

"But I was there," Cloud said. "Just not as a SOLDIER 1st Class."

The image flashed again, Cloud stood wearing a Shinra uniform, without his helmet on. Cloud caught a glimpse of Tifa in the distance and hastily put his helmet on.

"I was… ashamed," Cloud said walking closer to his doppelganger. "I never became SOLDIER. I wasn't the man I wanted to be when I returned to you. So I hid behind my mask."

Now the scenery changed to Tifa being forced to wait outside the reactor.

"I was there with you though. Protecting you," Cloud continued.

Now the burning of Nibelheim. Zack and Cloud were carrying bodies out of the houses, moments before rushing off to the mountain after Sephiroth.

"I was there through it all."

Again it changed. Tifa being struck down by Sephiroth's blade. Zack rushed behind Sephiroth while Cloud carried Tifa over to the side of the reactor.

"I tried to live up to my promise, as best I could."

Zack was cut down by Sephiroth and threw his sword to Cloud as Sephiroth marched out of the reactor with JENOVA's head. Cloud rushed at him in a blind rage and was stabbed through the chest by Sephiroth. But in fury he pulled himself further onto the blade just to get a Sephiroth. With a massive blow, he pushed Sephiroth over the edge of the catwalk of the reactor before collapsing onto ground.

"Hojo found myself and Zack," Cloud explained. "He combined our genes to cure both of us. That's why I have some of Zack in me. His SOLDIER training and skills. The ability to wield the Buster Sword. And Zack… Zack gave something to me himself."

The scene changed a final time to lonely wasteland near Midgar. Zack stood before a wave of Shinra troops.

"Cloud," Zack whispered. "I'm not gonna be able to go with you on this mission."

He pushed Cloud into a river and as Cloud's body floated away Zack fought valiantly until he was finally overcome by the soldiers.

"He gave up his life to give me a chance," Cloud said. "And I'd forgotten about him and everything he did for me."

The light came back into Cloud's eyes.

"This is the Cloud that I truly am," Cloud said, his eyes still burning with tears of remorse. "I don't know if I am worthy enough to come back to you."

Tifa rushed close and held him in a tight embrace. "Cloud," she said. "You're who you are. I've been the one lying to you to protect myself from having to face the past."

"Tifa," Cloud said, returning her embrace.

"I'll follow you wherever you lead, Cloud Strife," she said closing her eyes.

Cloud nodded. "Come on then, let's go home."


	48. Chapter 47: Submarine

Chapter 47: Submarine

Cloud awoke in a very unfamiliar place. His body was no longer freezing and wet. His mind was no longer clouded with horrible recollections of his past. As dazed as he was, no place would truly seem familiar to him at the moment, but this place was especially unusual. He looked around and saw that he was in a bed in what appeared to be a large machine.

A ship maybe? Gears were clunking in the distance, but a nearby window showed him no signs of sea or land. Clouds rushed past him and the occasional distant sight of a far off (and far below) island. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Tifa sitting in a chair next to him.

"Tifa?" Cloud asked.

"Cloud," she smiled. "How are you feeling?"

He rubbed his head. "Difficult to say at the moment. But I'm talking and conscious so that's certainly a start."

And then it came to him. He remembered what had happened between him and Tifa in the Lifestream current. He remembered the details of his past and the truth behind his life's façade. He got out of bed and tried to walk. It had been a while since he walked and he stumbled as he moved away from his bed. Tifa caught him each time he slipped and slowly he was able to walk without needing her help.

He walked with Tifa to the Operations room of the Highwind, a large conference room. Vincent was already sitting in a chair and Barret stood near an elaborate window in the back.

"You okay spikey?" Barret asked. "Didn't think you'd be coming out of that one the way you went into it."

"I'm doing much better, Barret," Cloud nodded. "Thank you."

"Shall I call the others?" Vincent asked.

"Yes please," Tifa nodded.

Vincent slowly stood up and paced casually out of the room towards the bridge.

"So," Barret shrugged. "I guess you're back in charge, huh?"

"It's not my place to decide whether or not I'm leading anybody," Cloud replied, somewhat stiffly.

Barret seemed to kick himself internally and looked away from Cloud, his attention now fixed on the passing clouds.

"Well, you got my vote. You're the only one crazy enough to think we have a chance against Sephiroth," Barret couldn't help himself; he burst out laughing. "Hahahaha! All this time we spent tryin' to find you and you just as cold as ever!"

He walked up to Cloud and patted his shoulder affectionately. He raised his gun-arm in a sort of half-salute and sat down in one of the chairs.

The others walked in and took seats around the table. Cloud didn't bother to sit and Tifa stood beside him.

"Glad to see you're feeling better Cloud!" Cait Sith cheered.

"You survived what should not have been possible to survive," Red added. "You have either some extraordinary luck or friends in high places."

"I can't explain how I survived everything that happened to me," Cloud began. "But I know now who I am and the truth of what happened to me those five years ago."

"The truth?" Yuffie asked. "You mean you made some of that stuff up before?"

"Nah, he just forgot it. Happens when you get older," Cid offered.

"Oh quit your jesting!" Cait Sith hissed.

"Actually Cid's closer to right than he thinks," Cloud replied. "Please allow me to explain."

And Cloud explained the truth of his past. How he'd never made it to SOLDIER. How he'd almost died trying to fend off Sephiroth. How he would have died if it had not been for Hojo's twisted curiosity. How he would have died again if it had not been for Zack's sacrifice.

"Man, that's quite a story," Yuffie said, folding her arms.

"I know now that I wasn't driven to face Sephiroth out of revenge, but I was called to him because of the parts of JENOVA that were implanted in both me and Zack. I don't know if I'll always be able to control myself around him, but knowing the truth has not changed what I plan to do," Cloud said. "I plan on defeating Sephiroth and saving our planet from Meteor if I can."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Cid nodded. "A damn stupid and crazy plan, but hell they're the best kind!"

"I'm with you too," Yuffie smiled.

"Wouldn't dream of leaving you now, friend!" Cait Sith nodded.

"I've learned so much already on this strange adventure, I can't leave yet," Red nodded.

Vincent simply nodded his approval.

"Okay then," Cloud nodded. "It's like Barret said so long ago. 'Ain't no getting off of this train we're on.'"

"And the train don't make no stops either," Barret smirked. "Okay then, spikey. Lemme catch you up on battle strategy. Cid, you know where to go!"

"Gotcha," Cid waved out of the room towards the bridge. "Yo, pilot! Set a course for Junon!"

"Junon?" Cloud asked.

"We've got a lot to catch you up on," Barret replied.

Sneaking back into Junon was surprisingly easy. While the Highwind crew hid her as best as one can hide an enormous airship in grassy plains, the members of AVALANCHE entered the low-town of Junon to find nothing waiting for them.

No guards, no sentries- well to be fair a single sentry was waiting beside the elevator to high-town, but he seemed to have no concern whatsoever of the random appearance of this group and simply charged them 10 gil to get on the elevator. Tifa felt suddenly sympathetic to how poorly Shinra soldiers must be paid.

Once in high-town the task of getting around was slightly more difficult as the high-town guard was still on high alert from the WEAPON raid. Creeping through alleys and ducking down side-streets, it took them a while to notice the obvious.

"Hey," Yuffie said to the others. "Didn't there use to be an enormous cannon here?!"

She pointed up to where the cannon _had _been and sure enough, it was gone.

"The Sapphire WEAPON didn't break it did it?" Cloud asked.

"No, it was firing fine. The thing tore its head off," Barret explained.

With the arrival of the grey weapon in Mideel, Cid had begun to codename and classify the WEAPONs that they had encountered. The deceased WEAPON because of its blue hue was called Sapphire WEAPON. They had seen reports of a red WEAPON, so-named Ruby WEAPON, a green one floating through the ocean which they named Emerald WEAPON and a white one that took lodging near the Bone Village; they called it Diamond WEAPON.

The grey one was not named after a stone, but as mantle was similar to the hilt of a blade, it was named after a mythical weapon that Cloud had once heard of; Ultima WEAPON. These names were only meant to help them identify the WEAPONs that they came across, and Barret found the concept ridiculous.

"Why the hell do you gotta name them?" He had said. "They're not pets, they're something we need to be damn sure to avoid!"

"Now's not a time to worry about that," Tifa said. And she was quite right. The patrols were leaving the entrance to the elevator that lead to the Underwater Reactor. Now was their only reasonable chance, without trying to force their way in.

As the patrols left, they rushed at the tunnel and into the elevator. It slowly descended into the depths. Now at the best of times, motion made Yuffie sick. Combine that with the claustrophobia of being in an elevator, crammed in with 7 other people, one of whom was an enormous Mog and the other who took up a great deal of horizontal space by his very being and Yuffie was at her edge. The fact that they were descending into an underwater area and the pressure change was making her ears pop repeatedly did not help anything.

"Are you okay Yuffie?" Tifa asked.

"Please… don't talk to me right now?" Yuffie insisted.

When the elevator finally stopped Yuffie stumbled over Red, who was unfortunately in front of the door, in her haste to get out. Her fortunes did not improve much. The exterior of the elevator was a small and narrow glass tunnel on the ocean floor. All manner of sea creature swam by, illuminated by the lights of the reactor in the distance. And while this would have been very beautiful if Yuffie had not already been so ill, the cramped and enclosed space was the final straw for her. She keeled over in a corner and was not able to be roused for several minutes.

When she came to, Tifa tried to be supportive.

"Look at how amazing this is. You'll probably never get a view like this again," Tifa said trying to cheer her up.

"When you live on a diet of seafood you get pretty sick of fish," Yuffie pouted.

"Does anybody else notice the apparent lack of guards in this place?" Cloud asked. "This is their Underwater Reactor. How can they have such lax security?"

"It will get more strict once we're in the reactor," Vincent explained. "I've heard about this. This tunnel used to be opened to tourists. Before the WEAPON incident I presume."

"Heh, more like before Rufus took over," Barret explained. "They weren't letting nobody near this place even during the inauguration ceremony."

At the end of the long glass tunnel stood the reactor. It was enormous, but as the lights only shone near the bottom to keep the sea creatures at bay, Cloud could only guess at its true height. The doors to the reactor opened slowly and a small trickle of seawater poured out as it did so.

"I guess this chamber acts as a sort of airlock," Red suggested.

"Leaky reactor," Yuffie grunted. "I'm never gonna forgive you guys for making me come down here."

"You've got to pick yourself up Yuffie," Cait Sith said. "We're about to have to fight, you know."

"Maybe not," Cid said. "I'm wondering if maybe they cleared out of the reactor because of the fact that Emerald WEAPON keeps swimming around these parts."

"No way," Cait Sith replied. "They need the Huge Materia that's here and Rufus Shinra has no problem ordering his soldiers to their certain doom to get it."

"Come on, let's just get inside and see what happens," Cloud said.

They walked into the reactor which was unlike any Mako Reactor they'd ever seen before. It was at least four times as large as the Corel Reactor, but it was a large open space. The most interesting component was that the majority of this space was dedicated to a very large submarine dry dock.

"They export the material by sub," Red noted. "It makes sense. Must be much faster than trying to use the cargo elevator."

"Safer too," came a voice from the landing below them. Cloud looked down and saw Reno standing there, looking up at him.

"Reno!" Cloud shouted. "The Turks. So that explains the lax security. It's a trap."

Reno chuckled and shrugged. "We keep setting obvious traps and you keep on coming. But seriously, good to see you're alive Cloud. I was hoping I'd be the one to catch you."

"With the world about the end you're still the same," Tifa scoffed. "Just looking out for yourself and paying no mind to the big picture."

Reno glared at Tifa and his cocky smirk faded somewhat. "I've lost sight of the big picture? What the hell do you think you are all doing? Do you really think you're heroes? You really think that you're going to find some way to magically save us all? Shinra has a plan to stop the Meteor by using this Huge Materia and you're stealing it for yourselves. And I'm damned if you actually know what you're going to do with it. So tell me, darling, what is the big picture I'm missing?"

Despite herself, Tifa could not immediately think of an answer. Barret answered for her. "You think that a big enough explosion is gonna save you?! Blowing stuff up won't solve the problem."

"Well spoken you hypocrite!" Reno shouted, jabbing his finger up at Barret. "How many people did you kill in the explosions that you set off at the reactors in Midgar, eh? How many innocent bystanders did you trample over in the name of some sick idea of justice? Where do you get off assuming that your hands are any cleaner than mine?!"

There was a truth in Reno's words. Barret too was now rendered silent. The reference to clean hands had been the trigger. It brought back memories of Dyne and his last words with him.

"No," Reno said. "I don't see the big picture. I don't see how this ends well for any of us. I'll keep doing what I believe to be the best path for myself and you'll keep doing what you believe to be the best path for yourself. We'll be crossing blades even as Meteor kills us all. And I'm perfectly content with that. Because sitting around just waiting to die is too god damn boring."

A crane carrying the Huge Materia rolled along and loaded it into a large Red submarine.

"Sorry to spoil your illusion folks," Reno said. He ran down a catwalk towards another submarine and was gone.

"Damn him!" Barret shouted, smashing his gunarm against the wall. "Come on! There's another sub in the dry dock!"

"You want to steal a sub now?" Cloud asked. "Getting a little carried away aren't we?"

"We gotta catch that red sub and get back the Huge Materia!" Cid shouted.

And before Cloud knew what was going on, that's exactly what they were doing. They leapt over the catwalk as the red sub departed through a large hangar door that opened, flooding the entire area slowly.

"That's why the door was leaky," Cait Sith grunted as his Mog waded through the rising water.

"Come on, before we all drown!" Cid barked.

They managed to open the hatch to the lone submarine and climb inside, sealing it before the water reached their level.

"You ever pilot one of these things before?" Cloud asked.

"Nope," Cid replied. "Water's not my friend. But it can't be too different from an airship I suppose."

It was. With the first feeble attempts at steering Cid managed to back the sub into the reactor further, slamming it against the catwalk they had just been on and then when he managed to get the sub to move forward, he missed the hangar door by a good foot or so resulting in a deafening scrape as the outer hull was banged up.

A slow, steady drip, about the pace of a sink faucet, began to pour into the sub.

"Uh, Vincent, be a dear and try to patch that hole would you?" Cid asked.

As Vincent looked around for a tool of some kind to patch the leak Cid finally got the hang of controlling the submarine and got them close to the red command sub that carried the Huge Materia.

"Okay, now where are the torpedoes on this baby?" Cid asked.

"You're going to blow the submarine up?" Yuffie asked. "What about the Huge Materia?"

"What about the people onboard?" Tifa asked, still deeply shaken by Reno's words.

"Well what the hell else do you propose we do?" Cid asked.

"I have a thought," Cloud suggested. "Where are they taking these Huge Materia?"

"They plan on using the Shinra 26 rocket as a missile," Cait Sith explained.

"So Rocket Town," Cloud nodded. "Would it be so bad to let them take it there?"

"Don't tell me you're going soft on me too?" Cid asked.

"No. I say we let them think they've won this round. Then we sneak about the Shinra 26 while they're loading the Huge Materia and take it back," Cloud explained.

Cid didn't seem convinced.

"There is logic to a sneak attack," Red offered.

"Fine," Cid grunted. "Let's head ashore and meet up with the Highwind. Hey Vincent, you plug that hole up yet?"

"I jammed a spanner in the hole," Vincent explained. "It's the best I could do under the circumstances."

"No arguments here," Cid nodded. "Let's take this baby up. "

The submarine slowly rose to the surface. While the temporary solution eventually gave way, they were only ten feet from the surface when the water started flowing back in and thus managed to dock in a nearby cove.

"Okay, I gave up firing torpedoes on a submarine for this," Cid began. "So tell me your brilliant plan."


	49. Chapter 48: Space

Chapter 48: Space

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Hojo asked Scarlet.

"Repurposing the Sister Ray was essential for our anti-Sephiroth movements. Remember: even if this Huge Materia rocket does work, which is unlikely as Avalanche controls two of the four needed pieces of Huge Materia, we'll still need to deal with the person who summoned Meteor," Scarlet explained.

Rufus was pacing around the Conference Room, rubbing his chin. He'd grown more and more erratic the further time went on. Hojo, Reeve, and Palmer sat on one side of the table, spaced quite far apart. Heidegger and Scarlet sat right next to each other on the opposite side.

"Will it work?" Rufus asked.

"We'll need an enormous amount of power behind it, but yes, it will work," Scarlet explained. "The energy shield surrounding the Northern Crater is on a similar electromagnetic frequency as the Mako Reactor cores. An overcharged Mako shot from the Sister Ray should overload the shield."

"So you've just got a team of Gelnika's carrying this thing to the place that has the best shot at the Northern Crater?" Rufus asked.

"No," Scarlet replied. "I'm having them await a few more calculations. I need to determine the amount of power needed, the angle and trajectory required, and some modifications need to be made to the Sister Ray herself. She was made to fire shells, not a Mako beam."

"So where is this rocket now?" Hojo asked.

"For security purposes, nobody in this conference room is privy to that information except Heidegger and myself," Scarlet said, standing up as though she was expecting a fight.

Rufus turned to Scarlet, his eyes were red for lack of sleep and he had his arms tightly wrapped together.

"I am the President of this company and I expect to be briefed," Rufus said, with a slight quiver in his voice.

"Of course, Mr. President," Scarlet said nodding. "But nobody else here needs to know. Or, for that matter, I believe should know."

Rufus looked ready to shout again, but he simply rubbed his hair and began to bite his fingernails. "Fine. Notify me of your final decision and make it quick."

"Sir, I really think-" But Hojo was cut off simply by a look from Rufus. A dark glare that the others had not seen cross his face in the entirety of their working together.

"I," Rufus said slowly, and eerily calm. "I do not care what you have to say on the subject, Hojo. You have vexed me for the last time, I assure you. I am not going to die because of this. You all might die. The entire populace of Midgar might die. But I am not going to die. Is that clear?"

Hojo simply nodded in response.

"All of you, get the hell out of this room," Rufus said, in that same unnaturally calm voice.

They filed out and shut the door behind them. After a moment they heard a piteous wail and the sound of something very heavy, but concentrated hitting a wall. Then the sound of chairs being flung around the room, smashing into the table, the walls and even the door, which nearly burst open had it not mysteriously been locked from the inside.

"The man's a lunatic," Hojo said, shaking somewhat.

"Coming from you, that's a scary thought," Scarlet scoffed. "But you're right. He's completely out of control. Doesn't he realize we're worried about what will happen if Meteor hits too?"

"He's upset," Reeve shrugged. "But he's going to bring us all down if we don't deal with him."

"How do you propose we 'deal with him'?" Heidegger asked.

"Oh come on!" Reeve shouted. "Do you think I'm the only one that sees it? Scarlet, you said it yourself. If something isn't done quickly, forget Shinra; the entire world will be destroyed."

"Well, the rocket launches in nine hours," Scarlet said. "I guess for now we'll just place our hopes in that. Palmer, you have a flight to catch."

Palmer nodded as he cleaned his glasses. "Right. I'll be off to the airport then. Wouldn't miss this for the world."

He waddled off towards the elevators.

"So, you really don't trust me?" Hojo asked. "Not that I blame you. I don't trust any of you at the moment."

"All the more reason we shouldn't decide anything drastic," Heidegger suggested. "Unless Reeve has a plan of course."

Reeve pushed Heidegger out of his way and walked down the hallway towards his office. Hojo sneered and followed behind Reeve.

"The Proud-clad main shell is already completed," Scarlet said. "We just need the weapons systems and control panel. How soon can your men have it operational?"

"I've already ordered them to begin working based on your blueprints. It will be ready by tomorrow morning," Heidegger explained.

"Your boys do fast work," Scarlet grinned.

"They are well trained," Heidegger said, opting to say no more about the specifics of his men's "training".

Cloud and the others took care to properly patch the submarine's hole, a task that was finally accomplished with the aid of some metal working tools borrowed from the Highwind. Cid then slowly steered the craft into a deeper part of the small cove in an attempt to hide it, in case Shinra came wanting their submarine back.

"You never know when a sub might come in handy," Tifa suggested.

After making sure not a trace of the sub could be seen from outside the cove, they boarded the Highwind and the airship took off towards Rocket Town.

"It'll be a while before we actually get there. Even at full throttle I'm saying about eight hours," Cid explained aboard the bridge. "So we get dropped off outside town, sneak in, steal the Huge Materia from inside the rocket, and then leave the same way we came?"

"They'll be expecting us to do something drastic like that," Vincent said.

"Aye," Cait Sith nodded. "Shinra's not stupid you know."

"Shinra knows we're hunting Huge Materia," Yuffie said. "But they don't know we know about the rocket."

"Actually," Cait Sith sighed. "I hate to say it, but they've guessed that you do know about it. In fact Tseng and a troop of SOLDIERs have been deployed to Rocket Town."

Cloud narrowed his eyes. "Cait… you haven't-"

"No, I swear, I haven't been. My duties to Shinra involve only reporting your current location and sometimes I give bad information. It's how we were able to sneak so easily into Junon," Cait Sith explained.

Cloud nodded. "Very well then. I realize this isn't the best plan, but we can't just let them launch the rocket."

"I agree with numbskull," Cid said, folding his arms. "No way that thing's going into outer space without me aboard it."

And with a brief discussion, they finally came to the consensus to siege Rocket Town. Their arrival several hours later, however was a tad more complicated then they had predicted.

"Jeez!" Cid cursed looking out over the airspace around Rocket Town. "They have the entire Air Force hovering over the city."

"Almost like they don't want us getting the Huge Materia," Red scoffed.

"Yeah, something like that kitty!" Cid barked. "Pilot, take us higher!"

"Higher?!" Cloud asked.

"Yeah, if we don't get out of their range of fire those PC-132's will tear us apart!" Cid shouted.

"Won't we still be in range of the Gelnika?" Vincent asked.

"Gelnika was scrapped," Cait Sith said.

Cid turned to Cait Sith, a look of confusion on his face. "What? The Gelnika Carriers were their best ships!"

"Two were destroyed by WEAPON, one was lost during the repairs and the fourth was intentionally scuttled by Rufus Shinra, after he found out what Hojo was using it… not to mention the Huge Materia samples, for," Cait Sith explained.

"This is news to us!" Cid shouted. "Hell without the Gelnika's we may have a shot at outrunning those helicopters. They aren't too nimble!"

"Orders, sir?" The pilot asked.

"Oh, right! Let's confuse them! Fly higher and when we're past the city I want you to take a sharp dive and turn back into town near the rocket," Cid explained.

"Can this ship pull that kind of a maneuver?"

"Not gracefully," Cid chuckled. "You kids might wanna hold on to something."

The pilot swooped higher just over the guns of the circling helicopters. They rose as high as they could, but they were not meant for high-altitude combat. As they reached their peak the Highwind dove right through the circle of them and straight into the path of the rocket.

"Okay boys, keep this thing afloat and try to draw off some of those choppers when you go!" Cid shouted. "The rest of you idiots, follow me!"

They rushed out to the deck and leapt over the side of the Highwind onto the roof of Cid's house, then to the ground from there. There were two noticeable absentees: Yuffie and Red.

"What the hell are you two waiting for?" Cid shouted.

"Miss Yuffie gets motion sick, remember? And I've afraid I am still just as incapable of climbing ladders as I was a few months ago," Red explained.

"Fine, you take care of the ship. We'll be back before too long!" Cid shouted.

"Come on, we don't have much time!" Tifa shouted. "They look like they're about ready to launch."

The Highwind soared out of range and several of the helicopters did manage to follow behind them. The members of AVALANCHE rushed towards the Shinra 26, cutting down the few soldiers foolish enough to stand in their way. As they reached the last catwalk before the rocket itself, they saw Tseng and two SOLDIER 2nd Class troops barring their way.

"You're not going any farther than this!" Tseng shouted.

A loud voice rang out over the speakers near the rocket.

"_Ignition primed. Launch in T minus two minutes."_

"Go!" Vincent shouted, raising his weapon, he turned to Barret and Cait Sith.

Cait Sith nodded. "We'll deal with this lot. You get the Huge Materia out of the rocket now!"

One of the SOLDIERs tried to attack Cid, Cloud and Tifa as they started up the ladder, but Vincent blocked his sword with his suddenly clawed arm. He let out an enormous shriek of rage and Vincent was nowhere to be seen. In his place stood a hellish figure with dark black hair, a pale emotionless face and two very large claws where his arms should be. One of the claws even had rotating pockets of bone that rotated and bucked almost like a chainsaw.

Tseng backed away in fear. "What the hell?"

"You have no idea," the monstrous creature shouted back, impaling the SOLDIER on his claws.

Cloud, Tifa and Cid managed to get inside the Shinra 26 and scrambled to find where the Huge Materia was stored.

"_T minus 60 seconds to launch."_

"We don't have a lot of time here!" Cloud shouted.

"It's gotta be in the engine room!" Cid replied. "Up that ladder!"

However as they started to move towards a small ladder in the back, something quite unexpected happened.

"_All crew clear the launch pad area immediately. The Rocket is now sealed."_

And with that, the door to the Shinra 26 shut. Cid rushed over to the radio.

"Hey abort the mission!" Cid shouted. "You've got crew still trapped in here!"

"Hello there, Cid!" came Palmer's grating voice. "Looks like you'll get to go into space after all!"

"Damn it!" Cid shouted. "There's nothing for it! Strap into one of those seats right now!"

"We have to get off of this thing!" Tifa shouted.

"You wanna try to get through that solid steel door, be my guest, but if you're not belted in twenty seconds you're gonna have a hell of a time doing anything by the time we're done!" Cid shouted.

Cid sat down in the pilot's chair and belted in. Cloud and Tifa found chairs beside him and strapped in as well.

"_10…9…8…."_

"They're coming out now right?!" Barret shouted.

"Not likely!" Cait Sith yelled back, his Mog throwing a hard punch at one of the soldiers. "Keep fighting!"

"_7…6…5…"_

"They'll be blown to bits!" Barret cursed, starting to move towards the catwalk.

"It's a spaceship you fool!" Cait Sith shouted back. "Cid will find them a way out of there, just keep fighting! And whatever you do don't get nearer that rocket than-"

"_1… blast off!"_

The rocket engines surged with intense flames. All combatants near the rocket on both side had to take cover far from the engines to escape the incredible heat. With a faint wobble and the falling of a few of the guide poles, the Shinra 26 launched into the air, and within moments was gaining incredible speed. Despite their bout of combat, everybody had to stop for a moment to witness the rocket sail higher and higher into the air.

The awe of those on the ground was nothing compared to the three unfortunate people stuck inside the rocket. Cid was whooping with excitement, but Cloud and Tifa, while starting to appreciate Yuffie's plight, were simply dumbstruck by what was going on. They were flying higher than any of them had ever or would ever go.

They were flying into outer space.

With a final cessation of the pulse behind them, they found their ship adrift in the dark black abyss of space. Save for the small sliver of the planet they could see beside them and the somewhat distant, yet ever-present red glow of the Meteor, they were completely alone.

"Primary boosters are cut!" Cid exclaimed. "Life support systems holding and we are all on track!"

"Cid?" Tifa asked.

Cid turned, he had the largest smile on his face she'd ever seen. "I know nobody's listening, but let me have this. I'm finally living my dream."

"Sorry to interrupt," Cloud said. "But we are getting closer and closer to Meteor. We need to get to the Huge Materia and find a way to change the course of this rocket."

"There's no 'steering' on a rocket like this," Cid said. "But we have an escape pod."

Cid unbuckled and began to float around the ship. Cloud and Tifa nervously removed their belts and floated around the ship as well.

"This will take some getting used to!" Cid chuckled. "Grab onto these railings around the ship to try and move yourself!"

Cloud climbed up the alcove to the engine room and saw the two pieces of the Huge Materia sitting inside a small glass container. There had been room for two more pieces. And then the doubt hit him again. What if what they were doing wasn't the right thing? What if by fulfilling what they had planned, they were robbing mankind of their only hope?

And yet, something inside him told Cloud that he had to get those pieces of Materia. That nothing else mattered in this world except obtaining them. He smashed open the cases and grabbed them. Carrying both of them he floated, slightly lopsided back down into the main room.

Cid took one of the materia pieces from his hands.

"Okay. Much as I hate to leave so soon, we better get on that escape pod before we're too far out to space for it to matter," Cid explained.

They floated down through the small shaft of the rocket towards the escape pod in the back. As they floated past the oxygen tanks, there was an enormous eruption as one of the tanks exploded from the pressure. The shrapnel knocked into Cid and he fell back against the wall, dropping the Huge Materia.

"Damn it!" Cid cursed.

"Cid!" came a woman's voice.

Cid turned to the escape pod room to see Shera floating towards him.

"Shera?" Cid asked weakly. "What the hell are you doing on this thing?"

"I," Shera rubbed her hair. "I was onboard, checking on the equipment during the launch."

Cid looked at the tank that blew. "Tank… seven…."

"Cid, save your strength," Tifa said, doing her best to bandage his wounded shoulder in zero gravity.

"No, damn it," Cid cursed. "Tank seven blew. Shera… you were right. All this time you were right."

Cloud grabbed Cid and pulled him towards the escape pod. Tifa picked up the other piece of the Huge Materia and they all strapped into the Escape Pod. Cloud shut the door and then pulled the release trigger before taking his own seat.

"If you thought going up was bad," Cid grunted. "You're really not gonna like going down."

As the escape pod slowly descended, they saw the Shinra 26 continue on its course. Moments later it collided with Meteor resulting in a blinding flash of light from the explosion. However, nothing else happened. The small broken pieces of the Meteor slowly pieced themselves back together in the wake of the rocket.

Cid turned to Shera.

"Shera," he grunted. "I'm so sorry."

Shera just stroked his head as the escape pod was suddenly pulled sharply by the planet's gravity. They dropped sharply. With another pull of a lever parachutes deployed and from the freefall, the escape pod slowly fell down into the waiting ocean below.


	50. Chapter 49: Seto

Chapter 49: Seto

Author's Note: The next two chapters are where I will more drastically than usual deviate from the plot. To clarify from a previous chapter, in the game they did sink the enemy submarine to get the piece of Huge Materia, but while that makes an exciting scene for a video game logically it did not transition well into my novelization, at least in my opinion.

In these chapters I would like to point out, without prematurely giving details of my version, the actual occurrences in the game:

The Huge Materia were actually not a terribly major plot point for the game. In the game they function primarily to award players the Zero Bahamut materia, as well as Master Magic, Master Summon and Master Command materias when players had attained Mastered versions of all the materia in a set category.

The Ancient Forest was an optional dungeon accessible only by mountain-faring chocobo or by defeating Ultima WEAPON. Its function is drastically changed in this version as well as a slight alteration to its location. Also this relates to a much earlier chapter, but for those who did not know, Greymare is an original character for this novelization.

The "key" which will be referenced in this chapter was actually found in an underwater tunnel underneath the northern continent and not in the location I reveal it to be in this chapter. Furthermore the sunken Gelnika is not in the path of the location of the key, nor is Emerald WEAPON a required target, but rather an optional boss in the American version of the game. The same is true for Ruby WEAPON.

I can appreciate to players of the original game how this chapter might seem a bit of a clustered mess, but I believe that the way I am choosing to tell this chapter is the best way to contain all the individual elements, most of which were optional in the game, yet I believe important in their own right to the overall plot.

So, in essence, with apologies to purists here is my version of how these events played out.

The escape pod landed in the ocean near Cosmo Canyon. It only took about two hours of waiting before the Highwind soared overhead to rescue the stranded group. The wreckage of WEAPON was terrible in this part of the world as well, however it did have its uses. A collapsed mountain side had formed a small bridge between the Nibelheim side of Mt. Nibel and the Rocket Town side. After bidding her a farewell, with Cid continuing to mutter "I'm sorry", they had one of their crew members take the dune buggy (which fortunately had remained untouched near Nibelheim) and used it to take Shera home.

The rest of them decided to go to Cosmo Canyon and plan what to do next. Bugenhagen seemed as gracious as ever to receive such a large host, commenting "oh, and two I haven't met yet," when setting his eyes on Vincent and Cid.

But Bugenhagen did much more than offer them food and rest, he had been observing the signs and had come up with a plan.

"You've been to the ancient city, have you not?" Bugenhagen asked.

"Yes grandfather," Red nodded. "That is where Aeris…"

Bugenhagen sighed and stroked his beard. "I was afraid of her fate from the moment I set eyes on her. The path of the Cetra was never easy. But she was a Cetra, and so was likely aware of her fate. I do not know if that will comfort you at all."

"She said something about trying to stop Meteor," Tifa said. "But never told us what it was. And with Sephiroth… I guess we'll never know."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Bugenhagen said. "She may have died, but the Cetra are powerful in their understanding of the Lifestream. Even in death she may be able to control things that we cannot see immediately."

"What are you suggesting?" Yuffie asked.

"I would like to see the ancient capitol," Bugenhagen said. "There may be some clue of what she attempted there."

"We searched the place very thoroughly," Cloud said. "But it's the best plan we have."

"Well go make your preparations. If you don't mind I would like a word alone with my grandson," Bugenhagen said.

The group left his observatory, leaving Bugenhagen and Red alone in the silence.

"Grandfather?" Red asked.

"I have news… about Greymare and myself," Bugenhagen began.

Red sat patiently. "What of it?"

"A fortnight ago, Greymare passed on, defending the canyon from a WEAPON attack," Bugenhagen said.

Red was stunned. He let out a gasp but it was a placeholder for a wail that longed to erupt from his body. Greymare, the mightiest warrior in the canyon, dead.

"What… what happened?" Red asked.

"He fought valiantly. Singlehandedly drove one of the WEAPONs back into the desert near the Gold Saucer. But the battle proved too much for him, as can be expected. He perished from his wounds in the Ancient Forest near here," Bugenhagen explained. "And I am afraid there is more."

"More?" Red asked.

"Greymare visited me in the night two days ago," Bugenhagen explained. "I do not have very long myself. Perhaps three days at best. Most likely less than that."

"Grandfather!" Red shouted. "You can't die! Not after losing Greymare as well. What will the people of the canyon do?"

"Death at my age is really not such a terrible thing," Bugenhagen explained. "I have lived a long and fulfilling life. And as for the people of the canyon, they will have you. That is what I have come to tell you."

Red couldn't bring himself to speak. That his grandfather was so unconcerned about his own death, it was an unusual concept to him. How could this not be tearing him apart as it was Red, who now felt so weak from the death of both his friend and the impending death of his grandfather. How could he go on after all of this?

"It has only been a few months since I last saw you, but I can see in your eyes you have learned so much and experienced many things. You are not so much a boy as last we spoke. You will not accompany us to the lost capitol, Nanaki. You must go to the Ancient Forest and face the trials within," Bugenhagen said.

"But I am still too young to be Chieftain!" Red replied.

"I know I am putting a lot on your shoulders, Nanaki," Bugenhagen said patting his head. "But you are the one who Greymare has chosen to follow in his path. You are destined to lead these people. Go through the Ancient Forest, and complete the trials within. We shall meet you on the other side, if fate permits."

Red did not know what else to say. To be separated from his grandfather in the last few days of his life to take a test within the Ancient Forest; a test which he did not feel ready for at all. But he could not argue. If Greymare had in fact chosen Red to replace him, then Red would not refuse the summons.

"Explain to the others where I have gone," Red said.

"Of course," Bugenhagen smiled. "Don't despair. I know we shall see each other at least once more in this life."

Tseng was laying in a makeshift hospital tent in Rocket Town. His arm had been horribly bludgeoned by the monster that erupted from Vincent in the battle. Reno, Rude and Elena had just arrived via chopper to help clear up the situation, but they all stopped by to check on their boss.

"Tseng!" Elena gasped, rushing over to his bedside.

"You look like hell, boss," Reno observed, taking a seat next to him as well. Rude elected to remain standing.

"All in all, I'm still better than when Sephiroth got to me," Tseng shrugged. "Chalk this up to another fine scar. Rude what are you doing here?"

"I've got news. We need to get to the sunken Gelnika and damn quick," Rude explained.

"What's going on?" Tseng asked, trying to sit up, but being forced to lay back by Elena.

"Hojo took one of the subs when he left Midgar yesterday. We believe he's heading for the sunken Gelnika to recover his creatures," Rude said.

"Why haven't we executed him yet?" Reno asked.

"Because we need that son of a bitch's technical prowess until we've dealt with Meteor. We can kill him after that," Tseng grunted. "Rude, Reno take a sub yourselves and get to the crashed Gelnika. Retrieve Hojo and bring him in by force if you have to. Then make sure nothing remains of the wreckage."

"What about me?" Elena asked.

"We'll need your help clearing up the situation here," Tseng said. He turned his head away just slightly. "Just stick with me for right now."

With the airship they were able to skip the journey through the Sleeping Forest and landed right on the ice floe just outside the Lost Capitol. Once inside the ancient city, Bugenhagen stopped for a moment and closed his eyes.

"You alright old man?" Barret asked.

"You can hear the cry of the planet," Bugenhagen entombed. "It is stronger in this place than any other place I've seen. Something is crying out, wanting to be released from this place."

"What are you-" But Tifa was cut off by Bugenhagen.

"No time. We need to find something like an altar. I'm sure there is one here," he looked over at the cliff face. "Over there!"

They followed Bugenhagen into the Citadel where the large jagged crystal stood. Barret, Cid, Vincent and Cait Sith had been each holding a piece of Huge Materia and brought it into the Capitol with them. As they approached the crystal, the materia began to resonate.

"As I suspected," Bugenhagen said.

Around the crystal were four large standing rings and a small hole was before the Crystal, with some odd ancient writing around it.

"Place the Huge Materia in those rings!" Bugenhagen ordered. "They are the power source, but not the key itself…"

Bugenhagen lowered his body towards the writing and began to work at deciphering the symbols.

"I wish Red was here to see this," Tifa sighed.

"Bugenhagen said he had stuff to do," Yuffie shrugged. "I don't know what's more important than saving the world, but obviously it's pretty important if he's just gonna ditch us like that."

"Young people never understand," Bugenhagen sighed. "The world is only worth saving if we make the world a place worth saving."

"Have you deciphered the writing yet?" Vincent asked.

"The key resides in a cave where the sun never shines. Now to the Cetra this passage is particularly important. Since they believe the mountains grew from the hills and the hills from the fields, at some point all places on the earth were kissed with sunlight. Therefore the only place where sun would never shine would be-" Bugenhagen awaited the answer.

The others rubbed their chins for a moment before Tifa came up with the answer.

"Someplace… underground?" She suggested.

"Exactly! But moreover, I believe this place is not just underground, but underwater. I know of many of the secret places of the world, having lived around so many of them. There is a cave that lies under a lake in a caldera just between Nibelheim and Cosmo Canyon. The overland route is beyond treacherous, there simply is no overland route. Furthermore it would do no good to take that route as again the place lies under the water," Bugenhagen against awaited a suggestion as though he were some sort of insufferable teacher.

This time the answer was much simpler, as they had not too long ago done exactly that.

"We need to use the submarine to get there," Cid said.

"Exactly," Bugenhagen smiled. "I understand you are in possession of one?"

"You might say that," Yuffie groaned, clutching her stomach in preparation.

Red ran through the hills that led him to the Ancient Forest. He'd heard Greymare and his mother mention the place when he was young. It was a place of trial for any new chieftain. Though what exactly lay inside the forest nobody ever spoke of, not even the chieftains of the time.

Greymare had not exactly been a proper chieftain, he never had the chance to take the trials due to the war with the Gi. However all the others, even Bugenhagen, looked up to Greymare as the leader. This would be the first time any had entered the Ancient Forest in a long time.

He reached the threshold of a large mountain covered completely in vines. This seemed more an ancient cave than ancient forest at first glance, but as he moved into the entrance of the mountain he saw the forest.

Light shone through cracks in the mountain top and vines, trees and plants of all sorts grew in great abundance in this place despite the low light.

"So what is the nature of this challenge?" Red asked to nothing in particular.

However, he received an answer. The forest itself seemed to echo back to him in distant voices of chieftains of old.

"_To make it through the forest, nothing more."_

It could not be so simple a task, and Red did not entirely trust his ears. However no other manner of trial presented itself immediately and so he began to walk through the forest.

The following day the members of AVALANCHE found themselves back in the submarine and near the opposite shoreline from where they had last left it. Bugenhagen had chosen to stay behind and continue deciphering the ancient writings. Yuffie and Cait Sith had remained with Bugenhagen as a sort of bodyguard, but the truth of it was Yuffie didn't want to get motion sick again and Cait Sith opted to stay with her to sooth her pride.

"Okay so there looks like there's an underground tunnel near Costa Del Sol," Cid said. "I bet that'll take us close enough the caldera he's talking about."

Cloud looked at the sonar projection of the tunnel. "That looks pretty tight. Not a lot of room to maneuver. Are you sure about this?"

"Not at all," Cid shrugged. "But what the hell else do you propose we do?"

"What's that?" Tifa asked, looking out a small porthole on her side.

Cloud looked out there with her and saw a wrecked Gelnika with another submarine docked near it.

"Crashed airplane," Cid said. "Gelnika model. That must be the one they scuttled."

"Another Shinra sub too," Cloud noted. "Actually, it looks like two of them,"

"We don't have time for pit stops," Cid said. "Besides I don't feel like trying to fight off an entire Shinra platoon, do you?"

"Right," Tifa nodded. "Let's head into the tunnel before we're spotted."

There wasn't an entire Shinra platoon aboard either submarine. Just Reno and Rude who now walked through the wrecked Gelnika with nothing less than absolute misery. The few chambers of the ship that they could get to that weren't completely waterlogged were still dripping and the hull threatened to cave in at any moment.

"Hojo!" Reno shouted. "Where the hell are you?!"

There was a distant cackling as Hojo was undoubtedly doing something with the samples he had aboard this plane.

Rude drew a pistol and Reno lifted his rod.

"I don't care what Tseng says, if that bastard doesn't come quietly, we take him out and say he got lost in the wreckage," Reno said.

"No problems with that," Rude grunted. "I wouldn't mind doing that anyways, whether he comes quietly or not."

"Let's try to play nice for now," Reno said.

They slunk through the halls of the enormous carrier. Half-tilted and half-flooded it was hard to imagine that this ship and the three others like it were once the pride of the air force. A pipe gave way and water exploded out of it, drenching Rude.

"Damn it!" Rude shouted. "Well now we have to hurry!"

The water slowly rose through the halls. They rushed to the last chamber which was an enormous main hall. Inside were several test tubes, however all the subjects inside appeared to have been killed.

Standing beside one, with one of his sleeves rolled up was Hojo. Before they could do anything, Hojo injected himself with a needle. He then turned around to the Turks and grinned.

"Hands in the air, Hojo!" Reno shouted. "Right now!"

Hojo raised his arms with the same cocky grin unwavering. Reno leapt over the railing, turned Hojo around and put him in handcuffs.

"So the lap dogs are here to spoil my fun again," Hojo smirked. "But you're too late you know."

Reno smashed Hojo's head against the test tube. It broke and the fluid used to preserve the specimen rushed through Hojo's face. He cursed silently and spit bits of the fluid out.

"You say anything to piss me off," Reno said. "And you die here with the rest of your freaks."

"Yo!" Rude shouted. "The main galley is flooded. If we don't hurry we won't be getting back to the sub in time!"

"You hear that?" Reno grinned. "The whole place is about to be flooded. Hope you had fun."

Hojo just continued to grin at Reno as he dragged them towards the submarine.

`The path through the Ancient Forest was more treacherous than perhaps any other road Red had traveled along in his journey. Jagged slopes and wide gaps with thorned vines in their pits made it clear that this trek was only meant for a member of his tribe.

"Yuffie might be able to cross these gaps," Red thought. "But poor Cait's mog would be hard pressed to make it across this."

His thoughts had turned to his friends, as they had often lately. Back in the Shinra Tower he had only been assisting the others as a means to find his own way home. He did not trust humans then, and his heart still bode some ill will towards the race. However, his journey had shown him the best of what humanity had to offer. His friends.

They had their flaws. Yuffie was spoiled, Cid was self-absorbed, Cait Sith never took anything seriously and Barret had a short temper. But despite these traits they were refusing to take the easy way out. They were fighting one of the hardest fights that any could be expected to undertake.

He came to a cliff that was completely impassable. The gap was far wider than Red could be expected to jump even at a full leap.

"Damn," Red thought. "I must have made a wrong turn."

As Red turned around he saw the image of a large grey wolf awaiting behind him. He knew that visage.

"Greymare?" Red asked.

The wolf howled and the earth seemed to stretch and groan. The gap was widening, with vines swooping in place of the new gap like a river.

"You are afraid still, Nanaki," said the voice. But it wasn't the voice of Greymare. There was another of his tribe who, before the arrows poison had completed, had grey fur.

"Seto?" Red asked. "Father?"

"You are afraid. But fear is not a sin," Seto said. "Only the foolish are fearless. But you cannot let fear conquer you."

"Father," Red continued. "I cannot make such a leap."

"You are my son," Seto said. "Your heart has already made the leap. Your mind is what holds you back. You strive to be wise, my son. So know when to follow your heart. Leap across this gap not with your feet, but with your very soul."

"It is too far. I will fall into the vines!" Red shouted.

Seto snapped at Red. "You will not, my son! Only the weak-hearted ever fall into vines. This forest will obey the will of the rightful chieftain. If you desire to cross this gap, the forest shall make it so. "

Red took another look at the impossible gap. He did not know what else to do. His father's spirit had come back at this time to tell him something and it had been how to cross the gap. Now that he knew the truth, he knew that his father would not lead him astray. He ran back a bit and then turned to face the gap.

"Show your heart to the forest, Nanaki!" Seto shouted.

Red ran as fast as he could to the edge of the cliff. With each pace he focused on the things closest to his heart. His friends, Greymare, his grandfather Bugenhagen. His mother. His father.

He leapt as far as he could. Again the earth seemed to groan and quake. The other side of the gap moved closer to him. With a firm grasp, Red caught the edge of the opposite cliff, and pulled himself up.

The mountainside smashed open and an enormous WEAPON with a bright red hide glared in at Red. This weapon would have looked almost like a man, except its head was long and protruded high above its shoulders and its arms were clawed and hung lower than it would on a human.

"Ruby WEAPON," Red hissed.

"You have already shown your heart to the forest! Now show it your might!" Seto shouted. "We shall defeat this menace together!"

Red leapt up as high as he could, the trees of the forest stretching their branches to give him more platforms to leap from. Seto leapt alongside him. Ruby WEAPON smashed through the branches, knocking Red back onto the ground below.

"Do not give up, Nanaki!" Seto cried smashing his spirit body into WEAPON.

Red pulled himself up again and once more began to climb the trees. His fury exploded in a crimson blur and he charged, straight through the WEAPON's chest. He fell to the ground and saw the Ruby WEAPON collapse against the mountainside, dead.

For a time, Red knew nothing at all. When he came to he saw Seto's shadow standing in front of him.

"Greymare would be proud," Seto nodded. "He is singing your praises from Luna as we speak, I am sure of it."

"Father," Red did not know what to say. Nor what should he say now that he was given the chance.

"You do not need to say anything my son," Seto said. "I have heard your heart often lately. You have become a fine warrior. You will be a great Chieftain. "

Seto's shadow disappeared and the path out of the end of the Ancient Forest opened itself for him. He walked through and saw that he was on the edge of a caldera between Nibelheim and Cosmo Canyon.


	51. Chapter 50: Lucrecia

Chapter 50: Lucrecia

The submarine slowly moved through the tunnel, but the challenge to navigate it grew steadily worse as the path grew more and more narrow.

"This is getting pretty hairy," Cid grunted as he pulled up to avoid an underwater mountain.

Suddenly a massive quake echoed through the underwater. Up ahead was the deep caldera, and waiting in their path was Emerald WEAPON.

"What the hell?!" Cid shouted. "How did that thing get here!?"

Emerald WEAPON launched beams of light from its enormous pauldrons. Both hit the side of the sub, but only managed to scratch the outer hull.

"Son of a bitch!" Cid shouted. "This sub ain't that maneuverable! We're sitting ducks!"

"We'll need to rise up and try to get it to follow us. We can try to fight it if we can get it on land!" Cloud yelled.

"I'll try but this seems like a pointless endeavor!" Cid replied.

Cid fired four torpedoes in rapid succession to give them time to ascend. They collided with the body of Emerald WEAPON, and did seem to do some damage, but not enough to do more than slow it down slightly. As they rose four more beams rushed past them, but with Cid's piloting most of them missed. One beam, however ripped a hole clean through one of the submarine's fins.

"Damn it!" Cid cursed. "We'll only be able to ascend straight now. We still got about fifty feet to go. Plenty of time for that thing to aim and hit us!"

"Any torpedoes left?" Barret asked.

"Yeah but the rear cannon's gonna be tricky to aim with," Cid replied. "It's meant only as a defensive gun so there's no lock-on feature."

"Leave it to me," Vincent said, seating himself at the rear gun. "Just keep us rising steadily."

Emerald WEAPON primed another laser barrage and Vincent fired a torpedo straight down at the beast. The torpedo collided with Emerald WEAPON's arm and blew it clean off.

"Hell of a shot, Vincent!" Barret cheered.

"He's definitely going to chase us now," Vincent replied. "Load another torpedo, Cloud."

"Right!" Cloud nodded.

Emerald WEAPON managed to shoot off the other fin and the rear stabilizer. Water slowly began pouring into the sub.

"Every time I take this sucker out for a spin, we bang the damn thing up!" Cid cursed. "Vincent, you can fire any damn time you like!"

Vincent lined up his next shot. This one did more than just hit its mark. It was a devastating blow to the creature, knocking off its left pauldron and ripping through the beasts chest. Emerald WEAPON was moving much slower now.

"It's in agony," Vincent replied. "I can feel it from here."

Suddenly the pressure dropped as they splashed out of the water and into the caldera.

"I'd say it's a damn good time to abandon ship!" Cid shouted.

Tifa opened the hatch and they all climbed out onto the narrow strait of land around the edge of the lake. Emerald WEAPON emerged from the lake along with them, looking quite piteous with only one arm and pauldron remaining.

"What now?!" Barret shouted, raising his gunarm.

Cid pulled out his PHS. "Okay boys, fire when ready!"

The Highwind sailed over the top of the mountain and missile rained down on the WEAPON. The explosions rent the beast in half, and the shattered remains of Emerald WEAPON sank to the ocean floor.

"That was fun," Cid smirked. "I love blowing monsters up."

"Quite impressive," came a voice from over their heads.

Tifa and Cloud looked behind them and saw Red sitting on a ledge just above them.

"Red!" Tifa smiled. "I thought you were going to some 'Ancient Forest' or something."

"I've been through it," Red replied. "Looks like you've been through hell."

"Well we took down a WEAPON, had a few laughs," Barret grunted.

"Same story here," Red nodded. "You can add Ruby WEAPON to the casualty list."

"You took down a WEAPON by yourself?" Vincent asked, clearly impressed.

"Not exactly. I had the help of my father and the ancient spirits of many chieftains," Red explained.

"Still that's good to hear. Only Ultima and Diamond WEAPON remain standing then," Tifa smiled. "The world is getting a bit safer."

"Yeah, but with the submarine taking on water how are we supposed to get into that cave. I don't think we'll be able to fix the damage she's sustained," Cid sighed. "Even with the Highwind's crew that's not an easy task."

"The cave is supposedly underwater right?" Cloud asked.

"Yeah, and?" Cid asked.

"What do you call that?" He pointed off in the distance to an enormous waterfall.

"You know if the cave is behind that waterfall I'm gonna be really mad. We could have just flown in and saved the trip and the sub," Cid grunted.

"Nothing but laughs, eh Barret?" Red chuckled.

"What were you doing?" Rufus demanded when Hojo was brought before him, escorted by Reno and Rude.

Hojo said nothing. He just continued to grin.

Rufus looked worse than he'd ever looked. His eyes were bloodshot and dark circles hung around them. He had not changed his out of his suit in three days and by the looks of him he had not shaved or showered in that time either. He looked so stressed that it came as a shock to nobody, save Hojo, when Rufus grabbed Hojo by his small ponytail and threw him to the ground.

"What the hell were you doing down there?!" Rufus shouted, kicking Hojo in the stomach.

Hojo coughed up a bit of blood but just continued to grin and laugh.

"You need me to fire the Sister Ray," Hojo said, looking up at Rufus.

"I have Scarlet and Heidegger. They built the damn thing. You are useless to me," Rufus said, grabbing his shotgun from off his desk and pointing it to Hojo.

"But who will enter the exact resonance data for the Northern Crater shield. My report on the resonance was falsified, just like all my other reports," Hojo smirked, blood shimmering through his teeth.

"You lie to me time and again, and expect me to trust you to do your job now?" Rufus asked.

"Playing my cards close to the vest is the only reason I'm still alive. We both know this. You need me to do what I do, otherwise, you would just kill me," Hojo grinned. He slowly stood up. "Everybody in this company is wise to your act, Rufus. As long as they make sure you're kept in the dark to exactly what they do, they're safe. I'm just taking their game to the next level."

Rufus still looked ready to shoot Hojo, but thought on his words for a moment. He settled for beating Hojo in the face with the butt of his shotgun. Hojo fell to the floor again whimpering in pain slightly.

"Get him to the Sister Ray platform," Rufus said. "Chain him to the damn thing and make sure he doesn't leave."

"No problem sir," Reno said picking Hojo up off the ground and dragging him down the stairs, out of Rufus's office.

The waterfall cave was unlike any formation Cloud or the others had ever seen. Large crystals shone all around them, even the floor was made of clear blue crystal. Standing in the center of this cave was a woman with long brown hair, wearing a white lab coat.

Vincent rushed up to her. He knew this woman.

"Lucrecia!" He cried.

The woman looked down at him with a piteous expression.

"Vincent," she said, approaching him slowly. She put her hand on his shoulder as he knelt down in front of her.

"Lucrecia," Cloud began. "So… you're Sephiroth's mother?"

Lucrecia looked up at Cloud. "You know of Sephiroth?"

She turned away from them.

"Lucrecia," Vincent asked standing up. "Why are you here? What's become of you? Where have you been all these years?"

"I, like you Vincent, have been hiding from my sins," she said. "When he did what he did to me… what he did to my baby."

Vincent tried to approach Lucrecia again, but she put her hand up to stop him.

"I am infected to this day with the JENOVA cells that he implanted in me, Vincent," Lucrecia said. "I waited here all this time hoping that one that I might see you again."

Vincent tried to go closer to her but again she stopped him.

"Vincent. I don't have much time left. I know what you are seeking," Lucrecia turned and walked behind one of the crystal pillars. She handed an oddly shaped staff to him. She then knelt down beside another pillar and gave Vincent something else.

It was a gun unlike anything Cloud had ever seen before. It had the barrel of a rifle, but was clearly meant to be wielded with one hand. Furthermore it had three barrels instead of one.

"Cerberus," Vincent said, holding the gun again. "I gave this weapon up when I was no longer able to protect you."

"You have protected me," Lucrecia said. "You did everything you could. But I ignored you. The sins were not yours, Vincent. They were mine."

Her body slowly began to freeze, her legs covered in the crystal that surrounded them.

"Lucrecia!" Vincent shouted.

"Please Vincent," Lucrecia said. "I can now be at peace. I want you to as well. Please stop blaming yourself for the mistakes of the past that weren't even yours."

"Lucrecia," Vincent said, holding her in his arms as the crystal slowly moved up her legs.

"Vincent, please tell me, what happened to Sephiroth?" Lucrecia asked. "What happened to my child? Did I create a monster because of my foolishness?"

Vincent pulled back and looked into her eyes. The crystal was now up to her waist.

"No, Lucrecia. Sephiroth died shortly after he was born," Vincent said. "Be at peace."

The crystal was now up to her neck.

"Goodbye Vincent," she said. "I love you."

The crystal sealed her completely and stretched from ceiling to floor. Vincent fell to the ground at her feet and pounded the crystal floor in rage and sorrow.

"Vincent," Tifa said, putting her arm around Vincent's shoulders.

"I take back Cerberus," he said, lifting the weapon. "And I will end this nightmare. He will know only Chaos, in his true fury and form. The monster he created will be his downfall."

"Who?" Barret asked.

Vincent turned, and in his eyes were the blood red eyes of the ever-changing beast the arose from Vincent.

"Hojo. He will die."

Upon return to the Shinra Tower, Rude was continuing his previous assignment from Heidegger. He walked down to Scarlet's office and knocked.

"Come in," Scarlet replied.

Rude walked in and closed the door behind him. Scarlet's office was even more a cluttered mess than usual.

"Been busy?" Rude asked.

"How could you tell?" she scoffed. She then sighed. "Sorry. Things haven't been easy."

"I gather that. I was told that Heidegger was here," Rude explained.

"He'll be down shortly. I take it you've uncovered something?" Scarlet asked.

Rude raised his eyebrows. "You're aware of the situation?"

"More than you know, honey," Scarlet replied.

Rude nodded. "Well yes. And if we're going to act, I think we better act tonight. With everything else that is going on, we can't afford any more lost time."

Scarlet rubbed her head. "You're right. Okay. Well let's wait for Heidegger to get here and you can give a full report."

When they arrived back at the Lost Capitol it was almost sunset. Vincent had calmed down enough to join them back in the Citadel and he handed the strange staff to Bugenhagen.

"Yes, this is the key, undoubtedly," Bugenhagen nodded. "Before we begin, I want to tell you what I've uncovered."

Yuffie took Tifa aside and whispered. "What's wrong with Vincent?"

"I'll tell you in a moment," she said.

"These ancient writings tell more than just the story of the key. They tell about an ancient power that the Cetra discovered. The ultimate defensive magic, counterpart to Meteor. The ancient writings call it 'Holy'," Bugenhagen explained.

"Does that power lie here?" Cloud asked.

"Well according to legends the power lies within White Materia. Only a Cetra can summon it with a prayer. If the prayer is heard, the White Materia will shine pale green and Holy will be summoned," Bugenhagen explained.

Cloud turned away and knelt on the floor.

"Cloud?!" Tifa asked.

"It's over," Cloud grunted. "Aeris had the White Materia with her, remember? She wore it in her hair. Always complained that it never did anything. When Sephiroth killed her it fell into the abyss below the city. There's no way we'll find it."

"We mustn't give up hope yet," Bugenhagen said. "Come, take a look at this."

Bugenhagen placed the staff in the hole before the crystal. It turned and suddenly a massive waterfall burst from pillars just above the four pieces of Huge Materia. It created a screen which, as the crystal began to slowly move, images flashed across.

The images were almost as though they were being viewed again directly, through a strange watery window. Aeris praying on the platform in the Lost Capitol. Sephiroth dropping down and stabbing his sword through her. The White Materia falling from her hair and landing in the lakebed. But as it sat on the bottom of the deep lake, it slowly began to shine. It shone a pale green.

"You see!" Bugenhagen smiled. "Her prayer worked. She did not die in vain."

"But if she summoned Holy, where is it?" Tifa asked.

"Something immensely powerful must be holding it back. Something at the core of the Lifestream," Red explained.

"Sephiroth," Cloud said. "He's doing it. We only have three days left. We have to find a way to get into the Northern Crater and face him once and for all."

"I have news on that!" Cait Sith said. "I just found out this moment. You remember the Sister Ray?"

"Yeah?" Cloud asked.

"Well," Cait Sith explained. "Guess where they moved it too."


	52. Chapter 51: Midgar

Chapter 51: Midgar

The enormous Sister Ray cannon had found its new home, atop the Plate of Midgar, with enormous pipes running through the cannon, connecting it to the six surviving Mako Reactors. It's barrel was pointed north towards the crater.

"How soon will the cannon be ready to fire?" Rufus asked.

"Within four hours," Scarlet said.

Rufus slammed his palm against his desk and turned to Heidegger. "Prepare our entire military force for an attack. I have no doubt that WEAPON will show up. AVALANCHE will probably be putting in an appearance as well."

"Shall we also ready our forces for an invasion of the Northern Crater when the shield is down?" Tseng asked as he, Elena and Palmer walked up the stairs.

"Tseng," Rufus grunted. "Better late than never I suppose."

"And good to see you good health too, sir," Tseng replied, somewhat more daring than he normally was.

Rufus ignored him. "We need to keep our troops in the city until after the Mako Cannon has fired. Afterwards, you can prepare our troops for the insertion. Send any remaining SOLDIER troops in the first convoy. It will take the absolute best to bring Sephiroth down and no SOLDIER 1st Class troops yet live."

"Understood. And the Turks?" Heidegger asked.

"I want them to remain here and guard the city. Our most vulnerable point is the railway leading to the Mako Cannon. I want them guarding it. Place Reno, Rude and Elena at the Mako Cannon itself and have the other Turks spread out," Rufus ordered.

"Sir!" Elena nodded running down the stairs to meet up with Reno and Rude.

"And my orders, sir?" Tseng asked.

"Rude reported his findings to you, correct, Heidegger?" Rufus asked.

Heidegger nodded. "He did, sir. I have relayed that information to Tseng."

Tseng nodded. "When shall we take him?"

Rufus grinned. "I want him to witness as we kill him friends. Bring him to the office, casually. We'll arrest him on my orders."

The Highwind hovered above the Lost Capitol. Cloud and the others sat pondering their options.

"The first shot will hit the Northern Crater's shield," Cait Sith said. "They plan on using any other rounds as an Anti-WEAPON defense."

"What if that does knock out the shield?" Cid asked. "If Shinra wants to give us the opportunity to get inside, I say for once we don't bug them."

"I agree," Barret said. "I know it sounds crazy and I don't really like Shinra to do as they please, but we can't break up that shield ourself."

"But that much energy," Red began. "Think about it. Sapphire WEAPON was drawn to Junon's Underwater Reactor. Ultima WEAPON was drawn to the Lifestream pool at Mideel. Emerald WEAPON was drawn to the power of Lucrecia's Cave. Ruby WEAPON was drawn to the Ancient Forest. That much energy is bound to cause WEAPON to appear."

"So what?" Yuffie asked. "Let WEAPON smash up Shinra and save us the trouble!"

"More people than just Shinra live in Midgar," Tifa said. "We can't just leave them to fend for themselves."

"Fend for themselves?" Cid asked. "Are you out of your goddamn mind? They have a _Mako Cannon_, not to mention the entire might of the Shinra army at their disposal!"

"Right, but what happens if WEAPON destroys the Mako Cannon before it has a chance to fire? Thanks to WEAPON and our own tactics the Shinra Air Force is decimated. They'll need all the help they can get," Cloud said.

Cid rubbed his head. "You seriously wanna go back there don't you?"

"Let us go and assess the situation," Red suggested. "There is no harm in that at least."

Cid groaned and sat back in his chair. "Fine! You heard 'em. Pilot take us back to Midgar and not to the place where we should be going."

As the Highwind soared over the mountain range they were greeted by an unpleasantly familiar sight. Ultima WEAPON soared past them, towards Midgar. As the pilot dove out of the way to avoid Ultima he had to instantly rise again to avoid the enormous Diamond WEAPON, who was also marching towards Midgar in line with Ultima WEAPON.

"Okay, I guess you were right about this one!" Cid shouted.

"We've taken on WEAPON's before, I say we fight!" Yuffie shouted.

"Yeah, right kid. Emerald WEAPON nearly tore us to pieces, and if Highwind here hadn't shown up we'd be toast. And we barely kept up with Ultima WEAPON," Cid said. "Pilot, full speed ahead to Midgar. Looks like Ultima is planning on sticking with Diamond WEAPON for this one so hopefully he won't follow us."

The Highwind was unable to travel much faster than the WEAPONs and even two hours later as they reached the shoreline, they could still seem the distant and dim outlines of the two WEAPON, barely visible in the moonlight.

"Is the Mako Cannon ready to fire yet?" Cait Sith asked.

"Uh, wouldn't you be the one to know?" Yuffie asked.

"It needs about ten more minutes and then we can open fire," Scarlet said. "The first shot will go right through the white one there and towards the Northern Crater."

"What about the flying one?" Heidegger asked.

"Maybe we can ask AVALANCHE to take care of them for us. What do you think, Reeve?" Rufus asked.

Reeve shrugged. "AVALANCHE is preparing to try and engage Diamond and Ultima WEAPON- er that is what they have called them- with the Highwind. They should be able to buy us enough time to fire the cannon."

"Well good," Rufus smiled unnaturally. "Then we don't need to waste military resources now do we. I mean except those which were stolen from us."

"I should think not," Reeve chuckled nervously.

"You've been playing with me, Reeve. And you're done," Rufus said, his smirk fading fast.

"What are you talking about?" Reeve asked.

"You didn't program, Cait Sith. You _are _Cait Sith," Rufus laughed. "You remote control him like a puppet and his thoughts are your own. We needed a spy in AVALANCHE and thought your Toysaurus was the perfect thing," Rufus stood up and jabbed his finger at Reeve now grinning wide, the tell-tale signs of sanity mysteriously absent from his eyes. "But you dog. You really had us going. You've gone soft on me Reeve. Rude!"

Rude clenched Reeve's hands behind his back and put them in cuffs.

"Sorry I couldn't do more for you from here," Reeve said.

"What does he mean?" Heidegger asked.

"He's talking to AVALANCHE now," Scarlet scowled.

"Listen to me," Cait Sith said. "This robot is about to go dead. I'm sorry I couldn't stay with you to the end."

"Reeve," Barret grunted. "You're busted?"

"I'm out of," Cait Sith suddenly stopped talking. He came back and there was a shout from him. "Give me this headset!" Cait Sith's body went limp. But while the voice remained Cait Sith's, the tone was too familiar. "Reeve will be alive long enough to watch you die, and then we'll kill him too. I hope you had fun. Fire the Mako Cannon!"

The cannon lit up behind them as power flowed from the Mako Reactors through the enormous pipelines and into the barrel of the Sister Ray.

"Shit!" Cid shouted. "Pilot, take us high and south, now!"

The pilot plunged the throttle control and the Highwind spurted high into the clouds south of them. Diamond WEAPON and Ultima WEAPON had reached the shoreline.

"Diamond WEAPON is preparing an attack!" One of the crewmen shouted.

"Yeah, and Ultima WEAPON decided to join us for the evening!" Cid barked back. "Take us low, and circle back, get that bastard in range of our missiles!"

"We'll need more than that," Cloud grunted. "Vincent, Barret follow me!"

"Where are you going?" Tifa asked.

"We're going to shoot down a WEAPON!" Barret replied, grinning.

The Diamond WEAPON seemed to be slowly charging his weapons at the same time as the Sister Ray. Diamond WEAPON had plenty of time to evade the oncoming shot but did not seem to perceive the threat of the cannon. Ultima, however, had taken a much keener interest in the Highwind and followed it as it swooped through the skies over Midgar .

Barret, Vincent and Cloud got out on deck.

"My sword won't do much good from here, but I'll take control of the gatling gun!" Cloud said.

"We'll fire when it gets in range," Barret nodded.

"Let's hope it doesn't get that close," Vincent added.

The Highwind fired its last remaining salvo of missiles, but Ultima WEAPON brushed them off like a group of noisy flies.

"Well, damn," Cid cursed. "That didn't do shit."

The Ultima WEAPON sailed closer to the Highwind and was now right next to the men onboard.

"Cid!" Barret shouted. "Keep us steady!"

Cloud opened fire with the gatling gun and Barret jammed the trigger on his gun-arm. The bullets weren't totally ineffective either. The gatling gun rounds pierced through the WEAPON's armor-like hide and even Barrets rounds, when they followed the wounds created by the gatling gun, seemed to sting the beast who began roaring in pain.

Vincent had yet to open fire, but seemed to be biding his time.

"Yo, Vincent, you waiting for a big red bullseye to pop up?!" Barret shouted.

"You know what my friends in the Turks used to call this gun?" Vincent asked, slowly loading his rounds into Cerberus. "They nicknamed it, the 'Death Penalty'."

The rounds clicked into place and with incredible speed Vincent leapt off of the Highwind deck and latched onto the back of Ultima WEAPON. Ultima roared up and tried to swipe him off, but Vincent climbed his way up to the beasts shoulder and pointed Cerberus right at his head. Ultima looked up at him and Vincent altered his aim directly at the beasts mouth. A beam charged in it, but Vincent was too quick on the draw. The three rounds fired simultaneously and created such an explosion that Ultima's head was ripped clean off.

As Ultima fell, Vincent leapt back onto the deck of the Highwind and sheathed Cerberus. Barret and Cloud looked at him in amazement.

"That's no gun," Barret said. "That's a cannon."

"Look!" Vincent said, pointed out at Diamond WEAPON.

The monster had finished charging its attack and fired several large beams, similar to Emerald WEAPON. At almost the exact moment the Sister Ray fired. It's beam was much faster and ripped straight through the chest of Diamond WEAPON and continued north towards the crater. However the beams from Diamond WEAPON approached the city of Midgar.

Rufus sat alone in his office looking at the beams slowly approaching the city limits. He rocked back and forth in his chair.

"I am not going to die," he said. "I haven't lived yet."

The beams seemed to slow down. Or perhaps time itself slowed. Rufus looked on at the beams. Clarity was taking place in his mind for the first time since he had first had conscious thought. His priorities focused like a laser beam.

"I did this," Rufus said, standing up and slowly moving towards the window. "This is my fault."

"You will be given a second chance," came a soft voice behind Rufus.

Rufus did not turn around. He could not bear to face whomever was speaking. But her voice was soft and familiar. Comforting, where he had known no comfort.

"But there will be pain first," she said. "Be strong."

Rufus continued to stare at the beams.

"I am ready to face my judgment," he said.

Time sped back up, and the beams were right before his window. His eyes flashed with courage he'd never known before.

"Come on!" Rufus shouted. "Take me!"

The top floor of the Shinra Tower exploded, as did several other buildings along the Plate in Midgar. The fire settled down, and in the temporary blackout from the firing of the Sister Ray and with the moon being hidden behind dark stormclouds, the entire city was plunged into unnatural darkness.

An hour passed and AVALANCHE was still getting over the situation.

"Unbelievable," Tifa gasped looking at the wreckage as lights slowly began to flicker back on in the city.

"Shinra Tower was hit. I sure hope somebody important got it!" Barret grinned.

Cait Sith suddenly sprung to life again.

"Ugh!" Cait Sith hissed. "Sorry about that. But I managed to give Rude the slip during the explosion!"

"Reeve!" Cloud asked. "What's going on down there?"

"I'll get to that in a minute. First the good news," Cait Sith said. "The Sister Ray hit its mark perfectly and the projections shown from the Northern Crater confirm that the shield is now down!"

"Excellent!" Cid shouted. "Now we can head to the Northern Crater and finish off Sephiroth!"

"Well that's the bad news!" Cait Sith interrupted. "Midgar is a mess! Rufus is presumed dead-"

"Great!" Barret shouted in triumph.

"Scarlet, Heidegger and Hojo have gone missing, but I bet I know where Hojo at least has gone," Cait Sith said. "He's gone to the Sister Ray to try and fire another shot. The man has gone completely out of his mind."

"What's his target?" Cloud asked.

"There is no target!" Reeve shouted. "Hojo wants to overload the cannon and cause it to explode. The whole city would be wiped out!"

"Can't the military stop him?!" Yuffie asked.

"They don't know where he is, and they won't listen to me!" Cait Sith replied. "And the Turks are all throughout the trains and I can't contact anybody I know. I'm pretty sure Palmer has fled."

"Well we can't get in the city, without the Shinra Army trying to shoot us to pieces!" Barret shouted. "How do you propose we handle this situation?"

Cid smacked his forehead.

"My god, does nobody pay attention to anything?! We're in the air! We just gotta fly in!" Cid shouted.

"You'll be hard-pressed to find a landing site where they won't blast you into oblivion first," Cait Sith replied.

"Well then we just gotta make our own landing space!" Yuffie insisted.

"No," Cid shook his head. "There's an easier way."


	53. Chapter 52: Raid

Chapter 52: Raid

Parachuting into Midgar did not exactly appeal to all the members of AVALANCHE, but it was agreed to be the best method in. Surprisingly the motion sick Yuffie was the one who first agreed to this idea, although she explained it was because at least parachuting was slow movement and all other methods of entry would have to be decidedly fast.

Strapping a parachute onto Red XIII proved to be a challenging feat. Once it became apparent that the creature would be unable to pull his own cord an extension was rigged so that his chute would open the moment he cleared the deck of the Highwind.

The opportune moment came. As the Sister Ray started to charge up again there were rolling brownouts through Midgar, and when the lights went out and the spotlights of the military could not see them, they jumped.

They soared slowly down onto the Sector 6 Plate and landed with a small thud each (or in the case of Barret, a large thud) just before the lights came back on.

"The Reactor control can be reached from Sector 8. I hate to say it but the easiest way is through the train tunnels," Cait Sith explained.

"A few Turks got nothing on us," Barret said. "Let's go!"

They leapt over one of the railings of the station platform and charged down into the tunnels. The lights flickered all around them, but the trains were clearly not running.

"All the juice in this town's going haywire!" Cid cursed. "Just emergency lighting seems to be staying on."

"If things go darker than usual, that'll be why," Tifa shrugged. "Maybe we get lucky and it means the robo-sentries aren't operational."

The train tunnel wound around the plate. Despite the emergency lighting they were still having difficulty seeing what lay ahead of them. The faint red glow did not help distinguish shapes and the flickering of the standard white lights was just distracting.

"Sector 7," Cloud called out as he saw the sign. "Just one more round this way."

The lights flickered and as Cloud rounded the next corner, he was sucker-punched by a figure in a black suit. Cloud fell back and rolled out of the way of the following electric shock. He stood up to see the man the others had already recognized.

"Reno," Cloud scowled.

"Don't forget us two," Elena said walking up from behind a pillar with Rude in tow behind her.

"We don't have time for this crap right now!" Yuffie shouted. "Hojo's about to blow us all up."

"Really?" Rude asked. "How's that?"

"He's at the helm of the Sister Ray!" Cait Sith explained.

Rude looked down at Cait Sith and scowled himself. "I see you managed to get back to your toy, Reeve."

"Look just shut up for a minute you fool! What's more important? Taking us in or saving the lives of all the people of Midgar? " Cait Sith insisted.

"Shinra's dead anyways," Barret explained.

Reno rubbed his chin. "You know, I hated you guys. Professional obligation and petty ego kinda rolled into one there. But I've always had a soft spot for you too. So I'll tell you what? Let's just forget about fighting for today, huh?"

"Reno?!" Elena shouted. "Are you serious?"

Rude shrugged. "He's right. I don't like them anymore than you do, Elena. But Rufus is dead, or as good as dead. We need to worry about ourselves."

"I can't believe you guys! What if they're lying to us!?" Elena shouted.

"Elena, you're always too damn serious," Reno groaned. "Look, screw our orders. We need to go report to Tseng and see if we can get the military to deal with Hojo." Reno turned back to Cloud and sheathed his electro-magnetic rod. "Sorry about the punch, man. Old habits you know?"

Cloud rubbed his jaw but shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

"Look, I'd like to say leave this to Shinra, but you'd never do that," Reno said. "We'll try to get the military to back you up if we can, but don't count on them not viewing you as enemies. So in short, try not to get yourself killed."

"And what about evacuating the citizens?" Yuffie asked.

"There'd be no time to stage an evacuation of this scale if Hojo really is about to fire that damn thing. So you better try real hard to stop him," Rude explained.

Vincent nodded darkly. "You can count on it."

Reno smiled his usual cocky smile and ran his hand through his hair. "Good luck out there guys. Thanks for all the laughs."

Reno, Rude and grudgingly Elena ran down the train tunnel towards Sector 6.

"I liked those guys," Cid chuckled. "As our mortal enemies go they were pretty reasonable."

"Don't expect Hojo to be so pleasant," Red said, suddenly taking the lead. "Sector 8 is up ahead. Let's hurry!"

At Sector 8 they climbed up a service manhole and emerged in the fountain plaza. The entire sector was practically deserted and up ahead they could see the Shinra Tower and the Sister Ray.

"Going somewhere?!" Came a vastly magnified voice.

The group turned towards one of the buildings and saw an enormous machine standing before them. It looked almost like one of the WEAPONS, only it was made with large metal components. It was tinted red and had a gatling gun on one shoulder and a rocket launcher on the other. It's hands were two large metallic claws and in the palms were imbedded large Mako Guns.

At the helm of this behemoth machine was Heidegger and Scarlet.

"What do you think of our wonderful creation?" Scarlet cackled. "Quite a sight, eh?"

"What the hell is that thing?" Yuffie shouted.

"This is the Proud-clad. An anti-WEAPON machine of war," Heidegger explained. "You cannot hope to win against its sheer firepower and resilience."

"Wait just a damn minute!" Cid shouted. "Don't you know what Hojo-"

"Oh, of course," Scarlet laughed. "But we have more than enough time to finish you off before we go deal with him! Wouldn't want you slipping away yet again!"

"Enough talking!" Heidegger shouted. "You're finished AVALANCHE!"

The Proud-clad fired two blasts from its palms which ripped through the city streets. Yuffie was knocked across the plaza by the energy bolt, hitting her head on the fountain and falling over unconscious. The second blast would have hit Red but he was too quick and managed to dodge it by leaping up the stairs towards the platform.

Before the others had time to think the gatling gun began firing indiscriminately barely missing them as the scattered to find cover.

"How the hell are we supposed to beat this thing?!" Cid shouted ducking behind the fountain and putting his arm around Yuffie, trying to get her to come to.

"Can't be any tougher than a WEAPON and we've been swatting those things down like flies!" Barret shouted.

"Don't get cocky, damn it!" Cloud shouted. "We need a plan. Red!"

"I'm a tad busy now, Cloud!" Red shouted dodging the gatling gun fire and leaping through the plaza.

"Just keep doing what you're doing!" Cloud shouted. "I've got your back!"

Cloud rushed up towards the Proud-clad with his sword held aloft.

"Not so fast!" Heidegger shouted.

A rocket sailed from the launcher and landed just at the ground before Cloud, exploding on contact and sending Cloud flying back as shrapnel from the explosion stuck in his chest and arms.

"Cloud!" Tifa cried.

"Don't worry, honey!" Scarlet cackled. "You'll be right behind him!"

The gatling gun began target Tifa now who was forced to follow Red's example and run indiscriminately through the streets.

"They're toying with us," Cid cursed. "Cait!"

Cait Sith peeked out from his hiding spot behind a dumpster. "Aye?"

"You know how to use this?" Cid rolled him a small stick of dynamite.

"What'd you have in mind?! A suicide mission?!" Cait asked indignantly.

"Just plant that sucker on that things back or something! I'll try to draw their fire!" Cid explained, lighting up a cigarette.

"That doesn't work that well," Cloud said, grunting as he pulled a piece of shrapnel out of his shoulder-blade.

"Well we gotta try! Come on, Cait!" Cid shouted.

Cid ran directly in the path of the Proud-clad, but he was prepared for the rocket. Raising his spear into the air he twirled it in a cross-formation which diverted the rocket back towards the landing behind him. It exploded sending bricks and railing soaring through the street.

Cid leapt up and met Cait just above the cockpit. Cait threw the dynamite to him, he lit it with his cigarette and dropped it above their heads. Taking care to smash the gatling gun with his spear on his way down the other side of the machine Cid landed behind the Proud-clad, scooped up Cait Sith and retreated back to the hiding spot where Cait Sith's Mog was waiting for him.

The dynamite exploded and the Proud-clad fell on its knees.

"Damn it!" Scarlet shouted. "It's not over!"

Vincent took the opportunity to open fire with Cerberus, but his rounds, while catastrophic to the armor of the Proud-clad, were not hitting any vital systems. A well-placed rocket attack from Heidegger knocked Vincent over the ledge and he too fell unconscious.

In this time Tifa had managed to wake up Yuffie, but she was in no fighting condition. Tifa grabbed her and hid her in the alley next to Cloud.

"Keep her safe, Cloud," Tifa said.

"Tifa! Where the hell you going!?" Barret said as he dragged Vincent out of the line of fire.

Tifa ran towards the Proud-clad. Heidegger tried to fire at her but nothing seemed to happen.

"What's the matter?!" Tifa shouted mockingly. "Out of ammo?!"

She leapt off the knee of the Proud-clad and up to the cockpit. Her fist smashed into the cockpit glass and rent the entire helm of the Proud-clad in two. She grabbed Scarlet by her neck and pulled back smashing Scarlet's face into the shattered glass.

Scarlet shrieked in pain as Heidegger rolled the Proud-clad's control causing the machine to stand again and knocking Tifa off the edge.

"Scarlet!" Heidegger shouted. "Are you alright?!"

"Kill that bitch!" Scarlet half-shrieked, half-cried.

"Hey!" Barret shouted, firing his gunarm . "You forget about me?!"

Barret managed to blast off the Proud-clads right arm, which had held the rocket launcher. In desperation, Heidegger fired with his last weapon, the Mako cannon on the left arm, and unfortunately for Barret it was a direct hit. Barret fell back, out cold and badly injured. As Heidegger moved towards him in the Proud-clad a shuriken knocked the remaining cockpit shield off. Yuffie was back in action and leapt up to catch her returning shuriken. Red pummeled the Proud-clad in the back with his body, tearing out a critical joint and causing the machine to lurch forward again.

In this last moment Cloud rushed at it with his sword, leapt high in the air and smashed down , cutting the chestplate in two, and cutting all power from the machine. The Proud-clad fell over completely and Heidegger and Scarlet rolled out onto the ground. Neither of them were moving.

"What do you think?" Tifa asked, walking up to their limp bodies. "Dead or unconscious?"

"Heidegger is simply unconscious. Scarlet is severely wounded and will need medical attention," Red said. "But she'll be okay for now."

"Why don't we just finish them off?" Yuffie asked. "They did a damn good job trying to kill us."

"Let's leave them," Vincent said as he came to. "In the new world without Shinra they will have to answer for the sins they have committed."

Cloud nodded. "Fine by me. Besides we need to go deal with Hojo."

"And Hojo will answer to me," Vincent said walking towards the platform.

"Wait, what about Barret?" Tifa shouted.

"I'll take care of him," Yuffie said. "Cait, can you stick around too?"

"Right! " Cait Sith nodded. "We'll make sure he gets back up, don't worry Tifa."

"Okay," Cloud replied. "But stay hidden and be careful!"

Cloud, Tifa, Red, Cid and Vincent ran up the long series of stairs at the base of the Shinra Tower that led up to the Sister Ray control platform. Another brownout occurred and the city was drenched in darkness. At this height even the emergency lighting didn't help as they slowly felt their way up the stairs. They reached the top and saw his shadow. Hojo was leaning against the control panel.

Then suddenly, the lights flickered back on and Hojo stood right before them.

"Greetings," Hojo smiled.

Vincent punched Hojo in the face and he fell to the ground laughing.

"Such a good little boy you've been!" Hojo cackled. "My Vincent's all grown up!"

"I've come home to settle the score," Vincent said, pointing Cerberus at his head.

Hojo continued to softly chuckle. "You've been to see Lucrecia haven't you? I hear she's a bit worse for the wear these days."

Vincent kicked Hojo in the stomach. Hojo spit up blood.

"I've seen so much of my own blood today," Hojo cackled. "But it doesn't matter anymore. You're not my true son anyways. Just an adopted pet."

"I'm the monster you created," Vincent said. "And I'll be the one to finish you."

"I doubt that," Hojo said, standing up and leaning against the control panel. I'm going to give a present to my true son. The gift of all the souls of this wretched town! He wants energy?! He can have all the energy he desires!"

"What are you talking about?!" Cloud shouted.

"Oh, poor Sephiroth. He'd just die, if he ever knew that I was his father," Hojo cackled.

Vincent didn't wait any longer. He'd had enough and fired a round into Hojo's heart. The gunshot ripped a hole clear through his chest. But Hojo still stood.

"What the hell?" Cid gasped.

Hojo smirked. "It doesn't matter. I told you, Vincent. I have decided to become more like my boy and so injected myself with JENOVA cells. Now you can all join me as I send this entire miserable city to hell!"

Hojo's body slowly melted away and reformed into an enormous tentacle-covered beast.

"Damn it!" Vincent shouted. "Stay back! He's mine!"

Vincent's body too slowly faded away and reconfigured itself into the largest of any of Vincent's transformations yet. This incarnation was horrific and yet majestic. Terrible and yet elegant. It had the body and head of a man, but large demonic wings, far wider in wingspan that his first form. He had small horns protruding on either side above his ears and a tail that whipped behind him furiously as he rushed towards what remained of Hojo.

"That must be what Vincent meant. Chaos's true form," Red observed.

Hojo knocked Chaos back with one of his tentacles, but Chaos grabbed it and pulled Hojo closer to him.

"Watch!" Chaos shouted as he smashed the control panel, which stopped the energy collection.

There was not enough human left in Hojo to notice what had happened and the creature still struggled in vain to fight back. Chaos flew high into the air over the edge of the platform.

"You destroyed Lucrecia. You didn't even kill her you destroyed what was left of her. You whittled her down piece by piece until there was nothing left. And you turned her child, the one thing she loved more than anything and turned him into a monster as sick as you!" Chaos shouted. "For these sins, I sentence you to death! "

Chaos let Hojo go and he fell hundreds of feet down into the machinery that powered the Sister Ray. In a loud cackle of electricity, the monstrous being that was once Hojo stopped moving except for the occasional twitches from the electrical shocks.

Chaos landed on the platform and turned back into Vincent.

"That was incredible!" Cid cheered. But nobody else cheered with him. Vincent sat down on the platform and couldn't do anything but look at the ground.

"Vincent?" Cloud asked. "Are you okay?"

"I dreamed of this day for so long since I started traveling with you. But in the end, revenge solved nothing. It does not do anything to diminish the suffering that occurred because of all of this," Vincent sighed.

"All we can do is try to rebuild," Tifa said. "Try to get back some of what we lost."

Vincent stood up. "You're right. Let's start rebuilding right now."

"Not just yet," Cloud said. "We still have one thing we have to take care of."

"Sephiroth," Vincent nodded. "You're right. Let's go and end the nightmare."


	54. Chapter 53: Avalanche

Chapter 53: Avalanche

Upon their return to the Highwind, they were greated by Bugenhagen who for the first time seemed somewhat serious.

"How did things go?" Bugenhagen asked.

"Hojo's dead, Rufus is probably dead, Scarlet and Heidegger got banged up, Palmer's missing and the Turks just decided to live and let live," Cid explained. "In short, Shinra's toast."

"So on to the Northern Crater?" Tifa asked.

"No," Cloud said.

"Oh sweet lord, you've gotta be kidding me," Cid said rubbing his head. "What other side trips could we possibly have?"

"There are only two days left until Meteor hits," Cloud explained.

"Right!" Cid said.

"So since odds are good we won't make it out of the Northern Crater alive," Cloud began. There was a pause. Nobody had really yet had the time or energy to stop and consider this. They were going up against somebody who had the will of the planet at his fingertips. Even though they'd fought well so far, how could they possibly hope to defeat an adversary such as this? "I suggest we head back to West Continent and everybody should take a bit of time to say farewell to their families."

"My only family is Marlene, and she's right down there in Kalm town," Barret explained.

"We'll drop you off first then," Cloud explained. "Then heading east we'll drop Yuffie off in Wutai and hit West Continent where we'll drop Red off at Cosmo Canyon and Cid off at Rocket Town. Take time, and gather your thoughts."

"Oh lemme guess," Tifa explained. She put on a deep voice, mocking Cloud's tone. "'You don't have to come with me, and if you want to back out I won't blame you?'"

Yuffie laughed. "Yeah, that's about it right?"

"Haven't you gotten it through your spiky head yet?" Barret explained.

"Right, right, okay," Cloud nodded. "Well then be ready to join us by tomorrow morning."

Barret sat down with Marlene. The Inn at Kalm had barely changed since they last stayed in it many months ago. Elmyra sat at the table in the small Inn dining room as Barret explained everything that had happened while they were gone. This included, unfortunately, the recounting of Aeris's death.

Elmyra did not seem shaken up by this news, though she couldn't look Barret in the eyes for several minutes after he explained.

"I already knew," Elmyra explained. "You remember how I told you that Aeris once told me about my husband's spirit trying to reach me before he returned to the planet?"

Barret nodded.

"Aeris did reach me," Elmyra explained. "She told me that she had taken care of everything and we should trust in you to finish what she began."

Barret hugged Marlene tighter as she dozed in her father's arms.

"I'm sorry that we couldn't protect her," Barret said.

"I don't hold you accountable," Elmyra explained. "In her final days, Aeris was truly happy. You showed her the world outside of Midgar. It was a world she was wanted to protect. I'm sure she had no regrets, right to the very end."

Barret looked down at his daughter.

"I can't let the world end. There's too much for her to live for," Barret said. "Please, if I don't make it back let Marlene know what her father died to protect. What your daughter died to protect."

Elmyra nodded. "I promise."

Cait Sith, Yuffie, and Red XIII sat around the bonfire at Cosmo Canyon. Lord Godo had learned of Bugenhagen's failing health and had been waiting in Cosmo Canyon for almost a day by the time they arrived. When they were dropping of Red and Bugenhagen, Lord Godo had approached them to help. Yuffie and Cait also helped carry the weakened Bugenhagen into the town. It was just in time too. Bugenhagen was returned to his observatory where healers from the village began to work on him.

"There is no hope for him," Red said, shaking his head. "He told me himself that he will be joining Greymane soon."

"That doesn't mean there is no hope," Lord Godo said. "If Bugenhagen has taught you anything it should be that death is not the end."

Red nodded.

"I wish I could be there in person," said Cait Sith. "But I have to be doing my part to help around Midgar."

"How are things?" Yuffie asked.

"I've taken control of Shinra for the time being. Well… to be fair I've taken control of Midgar. I'm organizing teams to prepare for an evacuation of the city. We've confirmed that Meteor will touchdown right on top of Midgar. Even if we can find a way to stop it, we should be prepared for the worst," Cait Sith said.

"Yeah, but the worst is the entire planet being destroyed. I don't think location will really help much," Yuffie said.

"A grand adventure that would be!" Lord Godo exclaimed. "Sephiroth thinks he can destroy the planet and become our God? Hmph! I am not Lord of Wutai and chief servant of the Five Mighty Gods for nothing. Even in death I will continue to fight!"

Yuffie stood up. "Now wait just a minute! I thought the point of the Pagoda of the Five Mighty Gods was to teach me that you have to back down from some battles?!"

Lord Godo laughed. "Yuffie my daughter. The point of the Pagoda was to teach you to choose what battles were _worth _fighting for, not to stop fighting altogether!"

Yuffie smacked her palm with her fist. "Alright then. We'll show Sephiroth whose boss then! Even if we die in the process!"

A healer walked down the stairs towards Red XIII. "Nanaki," his look was grave. "It is time."

Yuffie, Lord Godo and Cait Sith looked over to Red. Red didn't face them but rushed up the stairs past the healer. Several minutes passed in silence. Then the members of the tribe began to howl as the moon rose into the sky. Red walked past them shortly after the ceremony was completed. He looked over the edge of the cliff and then turned to the people of the tribe.

Yuffie was the first to notice that Red's headdress was different. It had two feathers, one that had once belonged to Greymane, and the other (still encased in stone) that had rested on Seto's body.

"Red…" Yuffie began.

"He's happy to be joining that which he has spent so much of his time studying," Red explained, looking away from her. "He had this headdress made for me, to remind me of where I came from and what I am fighting for."

"You are now a chieftain," Lord Godo said. "But you will never cease being a warrior."

Red nodded. "I set out with you to return to my homeland. But that can never be. My home- our home- has forever been changed. I'm done running. We can never return to the past. My new goal is set. I am fighting for the future of this world!"

Vincent had his own request for a destination. Lucrecia's Cave. And she was there, just as they had last seen her. Completely encased in crystal.

"I don't know if you can hear me," Vincent said. "But Hojo is dead. I have punished the man responsible for these crimes, but they do not absolve my own. Nor do I feel anything. I thought that revenge would bring me peace, but it hasn't."

The silence was as vast as before in this place. Nothing had changed. Nothing was better. Would there ever be a relief from the torment that he now felt?

"I am going to try and stop the world from ending. I am going to try and protect it for them. It's my last hope at redemption for my crimes. Please, watch over me, Lucrecia."

Cloud and Tifa sat aboard the Highwind. Cid had gone down to Rocket Town below. When asked what he planned to do he replied "I'm going to do what I shoulda done these five years and ask if Shera will marry my stubborn ass!"

"We're not going to make it out of this one huh?" Tifa asked.

"What do you mean?" Cloud replied.

"Even if we beat Sephiroth, those of us that are still alive will never be the same for it," Tifa explained.

Cloud shrugged. "I didn't even know how much of who I was before was really me. But that's just the way things are I suppose."

"If we see the sunrise in two days it'll be just like any other day, except for the celebrations and cheering and the millions of people declaring their new lease on life. But in the end how is any change we make in our lives any different than this one?" Tifa asked.

"Well to be fair most of our changes won't end up killing us," Cloud explained.

"No, but they do change us," Tifa said. Tifa turned and looked away from Cloud. "Cloud I don't ever want to lose you again. And I know this is wrong, I shouldn't be feeling this, maybe it's just everything that's going on…"

Tifa trailed off.

"Tifa," Cloud said, putting his hand on her shoulder. "You won't lose me. I promise."

The next morning the Highwind picked up the members of Avalanche. Once Barret was onboard Cloud turned to them.

"Okay everyone. This is it. I don't know what Sephiroth will do to try and stop us, but it's a safe bet that it will be more challenging than any battle we've ever faced before," Cloud said. "Make sure you're prepared, because once we enter that crater, we may never come back out."

"I don't hear any objections so far," Cid shouted. "Pilot, take us in close to that damn Crater! We're gonna finish this off once and for all!"


	55. Chapter 54: Sephiroth

Chapter 54: Sephiroth

Author's Final Note:

Where to begin? I started work on this novelization in 2007. As you can tell if you've had the patience to read this entire thing, you can see that my writing style and technique changed quite a bit over these six years, some plot threads I meant to expand upon were thrown by the wayside and a few scenes which, in the hands of a better author would have been amazingly detailed and vibrant, I sort of… yadda yadda'd over.

This is not the end of my novelization endeavors, I am still halfway through my Oblivion novelization, and just began a Final Fantasy: All The Bravest novelization (albeit it's really more of a spoof of novelizations than a serious one.) However, obviously, this is the end of this one. Later on (and I mean much later on) I might come back to tidy this one up, give it some uniformity and correct a few errors throughout, but for right now, I'm wrapping this one up.

It's very odd ending something that has been a presence in my life for so long. I started working on this when I was working at my very first job, was brand new to this site, was fresh out of high school. In these six years I have been through so much. It's kind of perfect that I am ending this story today as it's closing a very large chapter of my life in a nice way… tomorrow I'm getting married.

I want to thank everybody who has supported me throughout writing this story. All my readers and those who have left reviews and given me constructive criticism. I want to thank all my fellow Authors on the Genesis Awards Forums where sadly I haven't been around lately. That said they have all played a huge part in developing my skill as a writer by seeing how they write and having them critique and offer pointers. There really is no better joy than having a fellow author (especially one as talented as all the folks over there) show you how to improve your art and help teach you. Mind you this was mostly in an indirect way, but still, I think their criticism and support has paid off for me.

I want to thank my lovely fiancé Stefanie although she'll never read this story, because she has been a huge driving force in my life since I met her. She is the reason I wanted to get my act together and finish these long projects. She renewed my purpose in life.

Enough chatter and ranting, I still have a whole chapter to write. Thank you all so much for reading. More than anybody it is you, the reader, which is why I'm still doing this stuff!

Enjoy the finale!

The Highwind set down just above the base of the crater. Cold mist blurred their vision as they stepped out onto the deck. Yuffie was the first to comment on the deplorable conditions.

"I bet it's not much warmer inside the crater is it?" Yuffie whined.

"In this case, the cold literally let's you know you're alive I suspect," Barret explained. "Yo, Cid can't we get this thing any lower?"

"Not if you want us getting back out of this thing," Cid replied hitching ropes their waists. "The Highwind is graceful in open skies, but she's not too nimble getting out of tight spots."

"Now you tell us," Cait Sith chuckled humorlessly as he clung to his Mog.

"Listen up!" Cid shouted. "We used up the parachutes in Midgar. We've all done this rappelling stuff before, but this time we're also using it to navigate down the side of this mountain into the crater proper. If the tether snaps, we lose the entire line, so don't be an idiot!"

With that word of warning Cid leapt over the edge first and slid down the rope, his safety harness intact, and hit the side of the crater walls.

"No time to waste," Cloud said, heading over the edge next.

"Get one last good luck at the sun," Tifa sighed following behind him.

Cait Sith went next, followed by Yuffie. Red had to be fitted into a rather embarrassing harness similar to his parachute, but it did manage to keep him secure as they headed down the side. Vincent was the last to go, behind Barret who muttering to himself about missing stairs.

The descent into the crater was the most treacherous thing they'd ever attempted. During their last visit the descent had natural paths that could be utilized to make it into the heart. However, since WEAPON burst free from it, the entire crater was a massive cave with a straight down shot into the planet.

They were just a few yards from the bottom when Red slipped against the rock and caused the rope to sway. The tiniest movement set a chain reaction. The tension in the rope when it snapped against a jagged edge caused it to sever and everybody below him fell to the ground in a heap. Vincent and Barret were forced to drop down and when they landed they weren't in much better shape than those who had fallen.

"I'm sorry!" Red cried, biting to get his harness off.

"Well that was a graceful entrance," Yuffie groaned. "And we've lost our way back out."

"The Highwind has plenty of rope, quit your whining," Cid said. "Anybody seriously hurt?"

The group muttered but there didn't appear to be any lasting damage, except a nasty gash on Tifa's leg and a fractured finger on Barret's hand. Tifa wrapped it up in a torn piece of cloth from his shirt and splinted it with a long, flat pebble.

"Not the best patch job, but it will do," Tifa said.

"Where do you think that leads?" Vincent asked, pointing towards a long dark chamber with a glowing green light shining from the end.

"They left a light on for us," Cloud said. "Let's move everyone."

The Crater was eerily quiet. This was deeper into the earth than they'd ever been. As their eyes grew accustomed to the dark, they noticed the bony remains of enormous creatures that had not been seen by others in maybe thousands of years.

"There's a whole world down here," Tifa said, amazed.

"Look at this!" Cait Sith said, pointing to a piece of wreckage.

They gathered round and saw it clear as day. The Shinra logo was stamped on the piece of metal equipment which was now smashed.

"This is it," Vincent said. "This is where they first found JENOVA."

"Reports say it was a geological stratum, but they never mentioned the location," Cait Sith explained. "Makes sense. Looks like Shinra knew from the very start about this place. Kept one out from under his own son. Unbelievable."

"Probably not him," Vincent explained. "Dr. Gast would have been the one who reported this."

"That's why he was so interested in talking with Aeris's mother," Tifa nodded. "And because he kept this secret from Hojo…"

"Eerie how it's all fitting together," Cid sighed. "Let's keep walking."

At the end of the chamber was a large well of lifestream energy. It rose straight up towards the pillar that was visible outside the crater.

"There's a path leading down," Yuffie said.

"It will be the last path you tread," came a ghostly voice from around the chamber.

A monstrosity like no other appeared. The body of a woman, but misshapen and disfigured. Her head had been restored, but he arms were like tentacles and she floated above the ground looking almost piteously at them. There was no mistaking it.

"JENOVA!" Cloud shouted.

"The Meteor will destroy this planet." JENOVA said solemnly. "And I will ride along it towards another planet where I will do the same that I have done to this planet. Had it not been for your Cetra, I would have done this over a thousand years ago."

"We're going to stop you and Sephiroth!" Tifa shouted.

"Sephiroth is the first to truly accept his fate. My path offers salvation and he has earned his rightful place as God. You who fight against him and reject me- you have no place amongst us. Begone!"

JENOVA smashed her tentacles towards the well and a large platform comprised of large chunks of the earth appeared beneath her. The others leapt onto it and rushed into the battle. Cloud struck first with his Buster sword, but his strike seemed to go straight through her.

"Pathetic," she said, knocking Cloud back.

They failed no matter what attack they threw at her: Tifa's fist, Cid's spear, Vincent and Barret's bullets. All were useless before JENOVA.

"You can't defeat me. I, like Sephiroth, am one with the Lifestream. The wisdom of the ancients, as you call it, is now the very source that gives me my power," JENOVA said. "Please stop. You cannot hope to win and I do not wish to harm any of you."

"Fine!" Barret shouted. "You want some power?!" Barret wrenched a piece of materia from out of his gunarm. "Take it!"

He flung the orb at JENOVA. It smashed into her body and erupted in flame. She shrieked in agony, but soon the flame was out.

"Materia!" Yuffie shouted. "Of course! We have to attack her with magic!"

"No," Cloud said. "The energy from the condensed Mako!"

"Quit your nonsense!" JENOVA shouted smashing her tentacles again, knocking them all down.

Yuffie tried a bolt of lightning but it missed. JENOVA picked her up by her ankle and dropped her. She landed hard, a definite snap rang through the hall even above the sound of the rushing Lifestream. Her arm lay useless at her side and she wailed in pain.

"Barret!" Cloud shouted. "The Materia we have has been condensed unnaturally! Bugenhagen said that this damages the Lifestream, that it corrupts it! She isn't weak to our magic, she's weak to the Materia itself!"

Cloud threw one of the orbs wresting in his armor at JENOVA. Icy spears shot out from her body. The others continued throwing theirs. Flame, ice and lighting shook the foundation of JENOVA. Wind and earthquakes rumbled beneath. Yuffie threw her last piece of Materia and an enormous dragon shot through JENOVA's body, sending a wave of water to wash away the remains of her corrupted body.

"Leviathan," Yuffie said. "This is why we've protected this Materia for so long."

"Amazing to see it in action," Cid grunted, nursing a bruised shoulder.

"No time to stop now. Sephiroth is just ahead," Cloud said.

"Is he now?" came an all too familiar voice.

The others looked back towards where JENOVA had been. Sephiroth stood there, in his true body, not the astral images that they had seen before.

"Why have you continued to try and win a battle that is absolutely hopeless?" Sephiroth demanded. "I suppose you have discovered about Holy and are placing your hope in my demise."

"That's right, we're going to kick your ass and let Holy do the rest!" Barret shouted.

Sephiroth shrugged his shoulders. "It is inevitable then. I don't have to kill you slowly. I can stop your heart with a single snap of my fingers. But in this case, I think I will enjoy watching you suffer."

Sephiroth's body slowly began to change. He was becoming even more monstrous than any form of JENOVA that they had ever seen. His face stretched and contorted, his body grew immensely in size until he was easily over thirty feet high. His muscles grew a thousand fold, his still beating heart was now visible behind a cage of skin and sinew.

"Accept your fate!" Sephiroth shouted. "Or perish!"

Bolts of dark energy rushed through the chamber smashing off the walls and ceilings. However none of them seemed to hit their mark.

"What?!" Sephiroth shouted. He sent another blast of energy, but this time a bright white light shone in the center of the chamber.

"Don't give up!" Came a small voice in the back of Cloud's head. "You're almost there!"

"Aeris!" Cloud shouted. The light pierced Sephiroth's heart and Cloud rushed towards it with his sword, piercing it in a flash of steel.

Sephiroth's body began to slowly crumple away, but Sephiroth himself was laughing.

"Even that poor Cetra girl doesn't understand my true power or purpose. I am your new God, and you will submit!" Sephiroth shouted.

He disappeared in a bright light, as did the chamber. When they could see again, they saw only the Lifestream and seemed to be floating within it. Where Sephiroth had been standing a moment ago he now hovered, closer to his true form than before, but with an enormous black wing stretching out of his back and sitting on a thrown of clouds.

"This is where we end it, Cloud," Sephiroth said, raising his Masamune with one hand.

Cloud rushed at Sephiroth and met his sword blow for blow. The others behind him tried to help as best they could, but their attacks seemed to do nothing. This battle was strictly between Cloud and Sephiroth.

"You are nothing!" Sephiroth shouted. "Nothing is in your mind that I did not place there!"

"Well then thanks for all the sword-fighting lessons!" Cloud shouted smashing back at Sephiroth as he continued to strike at him effortlessly.

"Where would you be without the gifts that I have bestowed upon you?" Sephiroth asked. "Hiding, as you always have, behind others. It was you who let Zack die. It was you who let Aeris die. And now you lead the rest of your friends to meet the same fate."

"We're not going to die here, Sephiroth!" Cloud shouted. "Aeris gave us the chance to live!"

"Then she died in vain!" Sephiroth shouted as his Masamune broke Cloud's stance and pierced him through the heart.

The others stopped and watched as Cloud lay on the blade, completely off the ground.

"This is your hero, you miserable woman," Sephiroth said as he threw Cloud and the Masamune onto the ground. "And now the rest of you shall meet the same fate."

"Cloud!" Tifa yelled. "You son of a bitch!"

Tifa rushed at Sephiroth and pummeled Sephiroth in the chest. He laughed and pushed her onto the ground with a wave. The others joined in the attack now sending their best shots. Barret emptied his clip into Sephiroth with Vincent backing him up. Cid's spear seemed to bounce right off. Cait Sith and Red's attacks were equally useless.

Cloud slowly opened his eyes. Deep in the distance of the Lifestream he saw her.

"Aeris…"

"Cloud," she said. "I'm sorry that you have been through so much pain. I never meant for any of this. But you mustn't give up . Just one more push and it will be over. I promise."

Cloud's Buster Sword suddenly shimmered in the light from the Lifestream. It looked brand new. Every knick, scratch, dirt patch, blood stain and bullet hole vanished. Cloud slowly stood up with the Masamune still sticking out of his chest.

"Sephiroth!" Cloud shouted.

His friends were all on the floor now, looking up at the two. Sephiroth's face was not calm and arrogant now, but filled with rage.

"You are dead!" Sephiroth screamed.

"Almost," Cloud said. He threw his sword at Sephiroth and it pierced through his body.

Sephiroth fell from his throne and landed on the ground.

And suddenly the world disappeared. It was just Sephiroth and Cloud. Cloud's Buster Sword was back in his hand and Sephiroth's Masamune in his.

"No more tricks then," Sephiroth said. "Your skill against my own. Blades only. And you were never able to beat me."

"That's in the past, Sephiroth," Cloud said.

Sephiroth rushed at Cloud with his sword but in a skill that even Cloud had never known before he disarmed Sephiroth in a flash and brought his sword down into Sephiroth's chest.

Sephiroth's head dropped, and his eyes shut.

"You will never be able to return to who you were," Sephiroth said.

"Thank goodness," Cloud said as he pushed the sword in deeper, ending Sephiroth's life.

Cloud closed his eyes and when he opened them again he was back on the crater floor with his friends all around him. Tifa was pulling him up to safety as the ground slowly began to collapse around them.

"Come on!" Cloud shouted as they all pulled away from the collapse.

The Highwind lowered another rope but it was soon sucked down into the vortex of the Lifestream that was now billowing around them. Cloud had no idea what was going on, it was all happening too fast.

"Lady luck don't fail me now!" Cid shouted as he jumped onto the deck of the Highwind. "Pilot! Full power to rear engine! Pull us out now!"

The others climbed into the bridge as well.

"We're still sinking!" Yuffie shouted.

"Not for long! Pilot get out of the way!" Cid shouted taking control of the steering column. "I hoped never to use this. Everybody onboard?!"

"We're all here!" Cloud shouted.

Cid pulled a lever on the console and suddenly they were airborne again. They rocketed high into the air as the bridge- and only the bridge- hovered in place around the edge of the crater. It had small wings that appeared out of the inner hull and was able to remain aloft.

"And another one of my ships gets ruined, that's 3 for 3 goddamnit," Cid cursed.

"What happened?" Cloud asked.

"You and Sephiroth sort of disappeared for a minute. And then the next minute you were back, but the world starting falling apart all around us," Yuffie said as Vincent slowly wrapped up her shattered arm.

"And when the hell did it become night time?" Cid asked, looking at the starry sky.

"It's not," Cloud said. "Meteor has eclipsed the sun."

"Oh my god, look at that!" Tifa said pointing out the rear window of the bridge.

Meteor was now mere miles above the surface of the planet. Cid pushed the ship towards Midgar and within an hour they saw it clear as day. Midgar was in chaos and the Meteor was rapidly flying towards it.

"We need some help clearing the people out of the city!" Cait Sith said.

"I'll go!" Yuffie said.

"Me too!" Vincent nodded.

"But you'll be killed!" Tifa shouted.

"If Holy doesn't show soon we're all screwed," Yuffie said. "I'd like to spend my one last act on this planet doing something selfless for a change."

Vincent nodded. "And I have many sins left to atone for."

"Be careful please!" Cloud said as the two of them rappelled over the edge of the bridge down into the city.

"It's too late for Midgar. Meteor is approaching the planet," Red said. "But there may still be some hope for the planet."

"I had hoped the kids to be here for this one," Cid said. "But hell, if we're going down, I'm glad I'm going down with you guys. Some adventure you numbskulls have put us through."

"Maybe Lord Godo was right," Cait Sith said. "Even if we die in the end, just the fact that we fought alone makes it worth it."

Cloud pulled Tifa closer.

"Thank you Tifa. For everything," Cloud said.

Barret folded his arms. "I guess I wasn't able to save Marlene's future after all."

"I'm sure she will understand when this is all over," Red said.

The Meteor suddenly seemed to stop moving as hellstorms of fiery pillars cascaded down onto Midgar.

"My god," Tifa said. "Yuffie and Vincent…"

"We're still A-Okay for now!" Cait Sith said. "Don't worry about us!"

"Aeris. Thank you for giving us a chance," Cloud said. "I'm sorry that we weren't able to finish it."

"What's that?" Tifa asked.

She looked out the window and a massive swirling ray of green light slowly poured out of the planet near Kalm. Then near the base of Midgar. Then from all corners of the globe.

"Of course…" Cloud said. "The ultimate white magic. Holy. It's the Lifestream. It's the energy of the entire planet. The will of all of us to live."

The energy solidified into an enormous white force field that engulfed Meteor. With a blinding flash of light Meteor faded away into nothingness.

There was silence that seemed to fill the entire planet.

Then after a few seconds Cait Sith exclaimed. "The Meteor is gone! It vanished into nothing! Midgar is badly damaged but Meteor is gone!"

The remains of the Highwind touched down outsideKalm and Vincent and Yuffie rushed up to the team, followed very closely by Elmyra, Reeve and Marlene.

Barret hugged his little girl and gave her the memento that Dyne had left with him. "This was your mommy's. She'd want you to have it now."

Reeve hugged Yuffie while petting the head of his Cait Sith doll. Cid wrapped his arm around Vincent's shoulder who managed to smile for the first time that they'd ever seen.

"So," Tifa said putting her arm around Cloud's. "What do we do now?"

"Now we do what Aeris gave us the chance to do. We live," Cloud said.

Cloud turned to Tifa and kissed her as fireworks launched from Kalm and cheers echoed all around them. It was their future and their chance to truly live. Side by side the members of Avalanche walked into Kalm, and on to their futures.

**The End**


End file.
